Exruptive participates in groundbreaking DKK 30 million project to develop next generation scanners of checked in luggage. Innovation Fund Denmark supports the project with DKK 22 million.
February 15, 2016
"Improved X-rays are to Enhance Airport Security"
- Innovation Fund Denmark
The growing security challenge is reinforced by the rising number of flight passengers. It often creates chaos and delays in the airports’ baggage handling systems. But now, a solution to this problem may be on its way. A range of companies and research groups in the Danish X-ray industry have partnered up to develop more efficient screening systems for the security check of luggage in airports.
Globalization have caused people all over the world to become mobile and transport themselves via plane - simultaneously security threats hit airports all over the world. Adding that current X-ray technology dates back to 1944, problems arise. A new system will be put together by experts within: efficient utilization of X-ray technology, intelligent/automatized image handling, and service friendly design.
In these years a heavy pressure is put on the system that makes sure that checked-in luggage is subject to a stable and precise security procedure. Even though you do not see this process as a passenger, we have all experienced the effect of a system that is pushed to the limit when waiting in vain at the baggage drop at our destination.
Currently, airports must involve a large number of security officers in the troublesome task of going through all luggage. Even with an increased degree of automatization, the uncertainty with the current technology will result in a relatively large share of the baggage to move on to the manual security check. This leaves thousands of pieces of luggage to be checked.
- “Today 30 percent of the luggage must be scanned again. We imagine that we go from 70 percent of luggage being checked automatically to 90 percent”, Ulrik Lund Olsen (research consultant at DTU) says.
Together, the project partners will create an intelligent and automatized screening system that more efficiently can go through large amounts of luggage that passes through airports worldwide each day.
- “Instead of having a screen with one image from one angle and in black and white, you get images from different angles in color", Ulrik Lund Olsen explains regarding the perspectives of the project that Innovation Fund Denmark has granted DKK 22 mio.
The consortium behind the project unites competencies within industrial X-ray at InnospeXion and Magnatek along with internationally renowned university groups within X-ray and X-ray analysis – KU NBI (Niels Bohr Institute), DTU Compute and DTU Physics (Technical University of Denmark). These competencies are complemented by expertise within technical development projects at DIS - Engineering & Consulting and security systems for airports from Accent Pro 2000 and Exruptive A/S.
Value for society
The project aims towards increasing the security related to air travel on a global scale. Furthermore, improved automated control can decrease the number of incidents where passengers throughout the world’s airports have to wait for an excessive amount of time for their luggage, because too many bags and suitcases are being checked an extra time.
Investment from Innovation Fund Denmark: DKK 22 million
Combined budget of the project: DKK 30 million
Project duration: 3 years
Official project title: CIL2018 NextGen Scanner for Checked In Luggage