A new layer of security could be installed in airports, train stations and other would-be terror targets in the next few years thanks to a partnership between a Glen Burnie-based technology startup and the University of Maryland.
Pharad LLC, which specializes in the development of wireless sensors, announced Monday that it will work with researchers at the A. James Clark School of Engineering to develop a weapons detection system that can root out concealed guns and knives.
The partnership is part of the Maryland Industrial Partnerships program, which pairs Maryland-based companies with University of Maryland faculty to accelerate the commercialization process for promising products.
The weapons detection system is analogous “to a video camera in the sense that it constantly sees and monitors a scene,” said Austin Farnham, Pharad’s president. “It would likely supplement x-ray machines.”
Using the sensor, Pharad’s system would be able to detect concealed weapons in a crowded room, such as in an airport or train station.
While the company islooking to commercialize the sensor for airports, train stations and other transportation hubs first, Farnham said the system could also be deployed in robbery-prone locations, such as convenience stores and banks.
Pharad’s detection system has been in development since 2003.
The partnership with the University of Maryland will bring in additional expertise that will refine the sensors and eventually allow the product to detect bombs and other types of explosives, Farnham said.
Pharad also recently received a $750,000 grant from the Department of Homeland Security to develop the detection system, which is just one of many the department has funded as a possible security solution.
The concealed weapons detection equipment market is expected to reach $10 billion by 2010, according to estimates from Homeland Security.
