Forensics

This Wireless Explosives Detector Is the Size of a Postage Stamp

FOR PUBLIC SAFETY agencies, sniffing out explosives and other contraband is a tricky task. Handheld explosive detectors can be as small as a purse, but still must be manually operated. Permanently mounted sensors need to be even bigger. Dogs are useful in some scenarios, but they're expensive to deploy en masse and must always have a handler.

That's why GE Global Research is working on a new way to detect dangerous substances, one that costs about a nickel, can be deployed anywhere, and doesn't need human supervision. The device is a tiny RFID tag that activates only when it detects certain explosives or oxidizing agents. In effect, it could replace gigantic explosive scanners with something a couple inches across.

Developed in partnership with the Technical Support Working Group (TSWG), an inter-agency task force dedicated to anti-terrorism, the new RFID tag could dramatically drive down the cost of scanning for dangerous materials in places like cargo ports and airports.