Mass casualty screening solutions are increasingly important in security, especially since the world is seeing more and more of terror attacks on public places.
Mass casualty screening solutions are increasingly important in security, especially since the world is seeing more and more of terror attacks on public places. For the most part, though, these solutions remain traditional, with not much innovation. Threats have evolved, but not the solution to them.
However, now, a Waltham, Massachusetts-based company aims to solve this problem with a screening solution that it claims to “detect today’s threats.” The company, Evolv Technology, brings to the market their first product, Evolv Edge, designed to detect mass casualty threats concealed on a person.
“People pass through the system with their personal belongings on them at a normal pace (600 people per hour), and the automated detection algorithms render a ‘red light / green light’ decision,” said Anil Chitkara, President of the company. “The Evolv Edge can be moved around to different locations, set-up quickly and operating within minutes, enabling screening in a number of areas in a facility or done on a random basis.”
What makes the product special?
The Evolv Edge balances the desire to let people move around at the normal pace of life while providing detection of individuals who may seek to do harm to others.
“The unit is unobtrusive and allows for personal items to be left on as the individual walks through. The automated detection reduces the need for guards to ‘examine an image’ and the units can be networked together to allow one guard to oversee a number of machines at once,” Chitkara said. “There is an option for facial recognition to identify known individuals on a white list or black list, and automatically alert the guard or law enforcement officer. Finally, the Evolv Edge is on wheels and can easily be moved to different locations and set up for a range of deployment scenarios.”
The Evolv Edge utilizes a range of sensors including millimeter wave technology, operating at video frame rate speeds so individuals do not need to stop and pose; but instead, walk through the system at a normal walking pace. Advanced detection algorithms automatically provided a red light / green light result. If a potential threat is detected, the guard is alerted with a picture of the individual who may be carrying the threat and additional information on the nature of that potential threat. The Evolv Edge incorporates the ability to identify known wolves, VIPs and other persons of interest. All of this information can be displayed on site at the Edge or remotely at a security operations center.
What could drive demand for this solution?
The rising security threats on civilian sites is probably the first and obvious reason that could drive demand for this product. In Chitkara's own words, we are in a world where it has become easier for individuals to cause mass harm on groups of people in open, public gathering areas.
“We have seen horrific attacks at transportation hubs, sporting events, market places, and entertainment locations in many different regions of the world,” he said. “The means to commit these acts are readily available. We need to stay a step ahead and detect threats to prevent these events from happening. Our mission is to help keep people and places safe from harm.”
How can systems integrators take advantage of this system?
According to Chitkara, security systems integrators play a key role in providing organizations and facilities with multiple layers of security to address a specific threat environment. These organizations can incorporate the Evolv Edge into their ‘security toolbox’ and help organizations integrate the Evolv Edge into their overall security architecture.