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Explosive detectors need of hour
?IN WAKE of the growing terrorist threats, automatic explosive detectors were urgently needed,? said Dr VK Jain, a scientist at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
“IN WAKE of the growing terrorist threats, automatic explosive detectors were urgently needed,” said Dr VK Jain, a scientist at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Talking to Hindustan Times Dr Jain informed that several groups of young scientists were actively engaged in developing new machines to detect hidden explosive material in luggage, vehicles, aircrafts and other crowded places like railway stations. We are developing new type of sensors using Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Technology, he said.
“During the past few years, research on silicon micro-cantilevers has shown the possibility achieving a high degree of detection. They can also measure the change in the resonant frequency of the cantilever, which are sensitive to even Nano gm of weight, on loading with vapours,” he added.
He further said that a novel sensing machine, based on heat absorption property of explosives at melting temperature, has been evolved and would soon be put into active service.
According to DJ Makwana, who works at the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) Pune, a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) has already been developed to collect information about any danger. “It is mainly a mission oriented work where ROV is deployed with single or multiple sensors systems at a time,” he said.
He further added that in this scheme, sensor system with video, audio, digital data, or any combination of these three outputs could easily be interfaced with a ROV, which can be used for explosive device detection, chemical contamination monitoring, mine detection and radiation hazard monitoring.
“These ROVs were equipped with sensor like portable X-Ray imaging system for detection of hidden objects, portable gas chromatograph for chemical contamination hazard detection, radiation measurement unit for radiation monitoring, mine detecting sensors for buried mine detection depending on their intended role,” he said.
