Antennas for concealed weapon detection

• Published in: 2005 5th International Conference on Antenna Theory and Techniques pp. 65 - 69
• Main Authors: Kozakoff, D.J., Tripp, V.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 2005
• Subjects: Frequency; Geometrical optics; Humans; Polarization; Radar cross section; Receiving antennas; Resonance; Surveillance; Transmitting antennas; Weapons
• ISBN: 0780392612; 9780780392618
• DOI: 10.1109/ICATT.2005.1496885

Detection of concealed weapons is limited first by the signal to clutter ratio, and hence a trade between antenna beamwidth versus range to the suspect. An approach is described based on crossed focused line source antennas to produce a small common (transmit-receive) footprint on the subject being examined. These antenna beams can be phased, but a cost-effective approach is to use a Rottman lens (with switched input/output ports) in order to resolve the surveillance area into multiple overlapping antenna beams. The concealed weapon detector antennas can be covertly mounted on a door or wall or camouflaged as other facility structure components. Upon detection, a weapon alert subsystem communicates the presence of a suspect carrying a concealed weapon to authorities through a wireless or wire network. Alternatively the system can trigger other subsystems, such as cameras to track the suspect on a video recorder.