What is it
A system to detect the presence of explosives within a particular range.
What is it
There already are mechanisms & machines used for the detection of explosives at places like airports but their use is limited and much act like scans. We need to extend the functionality and introduce a system rather acts like a radar.
Why is it needed
Considering today’s security conditions, the device should be able to prevent bombings including suicide bombings by detecting the suicide bomber.
Where is the money
An innocent life saved is worth more than a zillion dollars.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:07 pm #Burhan
Nice idea Hina, Definitely the need of the day. Would you like to enlighten us with any existing market studies you might have conducted?
November 7th, 2009 at 7:26 pm #Sohail Abid
Someone at twitter (@tweetfestme) has actually seen such ‘detect-at-a-distance’ devices being used at Peshawar airport recently. He dug more into the details and blogged his findings.
Details: http://chaoticone.com/using-magic-to-detect-bombs/
November 11th, 2009 at 7:22 pm #Hina
Thanks for the link, Sohail. But the author also mentions the device give a false sense of security as research shows they are ineffective. So, I guess, the first step has been taken by the companies which manufacture these devices but we’d still need to put into it a lot of research to come up with a device which can be relied upon.
@Burhan: I’ve not conducted any market studies yet. My field of research is different from the kind of research the project requires but I might just get into it as well. The idea, however, is open to all to work upon.
May 28th, 2010 at 7:24 pm #Farhan
I have been thinking about this too and have come up with a somewhat absurd idea that just might work. What if we could somehow create a substance which when vaporized could chemically react with the energetic materials of the hidden explosive devices and neutralize them. This substance would obviously have to be approved by the health authorities so that it does not cause damage to human organs when it is in vapor form. It could be sprayed as a thick fog that would ‘float’ around in the designated critical area. The substance could even create some other kind of reaction which would expose the explosive materials with very minimal surrounding damage.
Something for the chemical and material scientists to ponder on. Just a thought from a mechanical engineer.