Safety in security

Johan Öhgren outlines the main challenges currently facing the aviation sector and reveals the importance of security.

“The software will present any suspect objects hidden under the clothing as encircled areas on top of a normal video image”

In your opinion, what are the main challenges currently facing the aviation sector? How are you working to tackle these challenges?

Security, security, security and volcanic ash. However, volcanic ash is out of our hands, so security is our strongest point. We are currently working as the Swedish coordinator in the EU (Pidea+ - Eureka) project called IMATERA, which is a 'naked camera' project. This is a THz-camera project, able to see through clothes. However, the current installed systems have several integrity drawbacks that make it difficult to use in many markets, especially in the MENA region. This is why we have integrated the integrity issue in the systems design from the start.

What challenges in particular make the MENA region an attractive business proposition for a European company such as yours?

The challenges for us are to make the airports not only safe but also able to do so without slowing down the security scanning process and without infringing on the travellers integrity. This is a legacy from our European horizon, especially our Swedish one since intrusion in personal privacy is always a big issue in Sweden when it comes to different types of CCTV systems. Sweden has very strict laws against privacy intrusion.

Since the MENA region has the same general view on personal privacy, we are able to think outside the box and design our systems with this in focus.

With the ever-increasing expenditure and expansion into the region's airports, standards and expectations are higher than ever. What measures are you taking as an organisation to ensure your solutions are viewed as pioneering within the industry?

Since we are who we are and we are based where we are, we have a huge advantage. Our THz-camera systems will have solved the privacy issue from the start. Instead of the current systems being slow, expensive and personally intensive as well as personally invasive, our new systems are working in near real-time over longer distances, with higher resolution and together with our smart software it will not need any specially trained operators. And instead of having to understand and view a THz picture of a human being, the software will present any suspect objects hidden under the clothing as encircled areas on top of a normal video image, hence making both the staff and passengers more at ease and therefore not invade anyone's privacy. We will be able to do so, with less staff then currently necessary with the current systems on the market.

How do you hope to capitalise on the phenomenal growth in passenger throughput numbers, baggage and freight? What are your plans for the coming 12-24 months?

We are for the moment searching for investors and business partners willing to invest in the project, hence making it into a product earlier than otherwise possible. Since the project has a huge market and EU is funding much of the research part, it's a rather risk free investment making it very lucrative for bold entrepreneurs.

Another benefit is that it can be used in many other applications, for example as a security tool for road-block/checkpoints looking for suicide bombers, scanning customers in shopping malls without causing any privacy issues and of course as a robber identity tool since our technology can also see though ski masks and motorcycle helmets.

Johan Öhgren, owner and CEO of Acquris, has a high experience in the security field. Since Acquris has developed its own systems over the past 15 years, it was natural for the Swedish Defence Research Institute (FOI) to ask Öhgren to head the SME part of the IMATERA project.