EXPO NEWS: Millimeter wave technology from Rohde & Schwarz TSA certified

Rohde & Schwarz has announced that its QPS200 millimeter wave people-screening system has been certified by the TSA for use at US and international aviation and other security checkpoints. It already obtained European ECAC certification and is in use in airports across Europe. The company will be exhibiting its latest developments at Passenger Terminal Expo 2018.

Full body safety scanners at airports are a controversial topic, with issues of privacy and radiation. Rohde & Schwarz addresses these using millimeter wave technology. It is based on the company’s more than 80 years of expertise in developing test and measurement equipment. The scanner consists of a flat panel with thousands of transmitters that emit extremely low-power millimeter waves in very short succession, and just as many receivers that record high-resolution 3D information.

This means that the QPS200 scans passengers in just a few milliseconds, which speeds up checkpoint-screening operations and increases throughput. Meanwhile, thanks to the low-power nature of the waves, it is no more harmful than a cell phone.

Privacy is protected by the use of a generic outline of a person to indicate to operators the location of an alarm. Scanning is easy, since individuals simply stand in front of the scanner with their arms held slightly away from the body and the system automatically detects potentially dangerous objects on the body.

“We are pleased that the R&S QPS200 has achieved the milestone of TSA detection certification and look forward to building a partnership with the TSA at US airports to deliver next-generation security capabilities,” said Scott Bausback, president and CEO of Rohde & Schwarz USA.

“We are dedicated to providing airports, air carriers and passengers with high-performance, passenger-friendly security screening technology.”

Stop by booth 230 at Passenger Terminal Expo 2018 in Stockholm, Sweden, for more information on the QPS200 millimeter wave scanner.