SOS · Sensors system for detection and tracking Of dangerous materials in order to increase the airport Security in the indoor landside area

The SOS project aims at establishing a strategic longer term industry-academia partnership to face the research challenges related to the development of non-intrusive and pervasive surveillance systems for indoor public areas, based on an innovative combinations of passive radar technology, novel detection and tracking systems in various electromagnetic frequency range, and sensitive data processing. The scientific objective of the underlying research project is to realize a completely new sensor concept for indoor airport areas, by detecting and identifying the presence of hazardous tools, which can be concealed (under clothes or inside bags) by ill-intentioned people, without interfering neither with the normal passenger flows, nor with the normal airport operations. The project intends to study, design and develop the functional prototypes of an innovative multisensor based system, integrating active and passive radar sensors and highly complex data-fusion. The SOS project involves academic and industrial researchers, who will have the opportunity to share complementary and multidisciplinary knowledge on different radar technologies and data-fusion, in order to foster integration of these technology as well as future joint RTD. Through a dedicated Transfer of Knowledge (ToK) programme they will share their own expertise, will acquire new knowledge in complementary and intersectoral fields and will integrate their new know-how back to their home institutions. The research teams will be complemented by new recruited experienced researchers with advanced competence in the field of detection, sensitive data processing and passive tracking radar systems.The SOS system will foster globally the security level in public spaces such as airports, establish long term industry academic collaboration through a joint 10 year RTD roadmap and reach out to the general public through airport bill-boards on the benefits of RTD in this area for passengers.