Robot Provides 3-D Images of Danger

Soldiers and first responders may soon have a better way to evaluate the interior of dangerous structures, thanks to a joint project between Missouri University of Science and Technology and the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Students at Missouri S&T have built a remote-controlled robot that is equipped with an infrared camera and LIDAR (light detection and ranging) technology.

Like radar, LIDAR sends out signals, in this case millions of laser points, to bounce off objects and provide feedback. The LIDAR-equipped robot then wirelessly relays detailed images to a laptop computer.

"We can get a 3-D map of rooms by sending the robot inside or having it look through a window," says Dr. Norbert Maerz, associate professor of geological engineering at Missouri S&T. "Even when you can't see through windows, you can still scan through them with LIDAR. Using this information, soldiers or first responders could evaluate safety issues and determine strategies."

The researchers used their prototype to map the inside of houses, businesses, Missouri S&T buildings and cave passages in the Mark Twain National Forest.

The technology is further capable of detecting structural damage like cracks in beams, which would allow engineers to make safety recommendations following natural disasters.

The student-built robot at S&T resembles the rovers NASA has sent to Mars. But the S&T prototype, which weighs approximately 200 pounds, only cost about $25,000 to assemble. Maerz envisions commercial models being smaller, lighter and more flexible.

Shoe Scanners Revisited

USA Today reports that the Transportation Security Administration is reviving an idea that aims to take one of the biggest hassles out of airport security: removing your shoes at a checkpoint. A dozen companies are offering shoe scanning devices, and the TSA says it plans to buy 100 of the devices by next year. The machines, designed to find metal weapons and explosives in shoes, didn't pass muster in tests three years ago.

The developers of the latest generation of the machines promise better results. The TSA began forcing passengers to remove their shoes in late 2001 after Richard Reid tried to ignite explosives in his footwear on a U.S.-bound flight. Shoe removal became mandatory in 2006 after a foiled plot to blow up U.S.-bound planes with liquid explosives.

The TSA tested a scanner in 2007 at Orlando International Airport but pulled it after seven months because the machine missed too many weapons and bomb parts during tests.

Morpho Detection is among the firms offering TSA shoe scanners. Its latest improved version is a high performance walkthrough portal that detects both explosives and metal--- able to differentiate between steel shoe shanks and knives. It employs trace detection, X-ray and quadrapole resonance technology. Earlier models only employed quadrapole resonance. Company officials said TSA is giving its new ShoeScanner a look. They are optimistic that it will pass TSA muster this time around and hope for multiple sales once certified. "The ShoeScanner is a work in progress, and additional features can be added," they said.

Unusual Snail Shell Could Be a Model for Better Armor

A recently discovered gastropod from the Kairei Indian hydrothermal vent, called Crysomallon squamiferum, has an unusual shell structure superbly suited for protecting it against penetration attack. The outer layer is granular and composed of iron sulfide. The middle layer is much thicker than other mollusks generally have. These key points could be important in mollusc-inspired vehicle or personnel armor construction.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are studying the mollusk's physical and mechanical properties. The so-called "scaly-foot gastropod," has a unique tri- layered shell that may hold insights for future mechanical design principles. Specifically, it has a highly calcified inner layer, a thick organic middle layer. But, it's the extraordinary outer layer fused with granular iron sulfide that excites researchers.

The Kairei Indian vent field is a series of deep gashes in the planet's surface along a volcanic mountain chain below the Indian Ocean. There, researchers on an expedition discovered the never before seen snail in 1999.

Researchers set out to discover what advantages the structure holds for protection against penetrating attacks from predators. Understanding this can give them new ideas for materials that may be used for cars, trucks and military applications.

O'Hare Security Faulted

O'Hare Airport is the "least secure airport in the country" and vulnerable to a terrorist attack, the airport's fired security chief has charged. Jim Maurer said he was dismissed from his top-level airport security job in mid-September because he raised security concerns one airport commissioner didn't want to hear. Maurer's charges are outlined in a lawsuit. It is reported he's seeking reinstatement, back pay and unspecified damages, for what he calls a "retaliatory discharge" and "slander" of his reputation. Maurer is a former chief-of-patrol who spent four years as aviation security chief after retiring from the Chicago Police Department in 2005. The civilian job allowed Maurer to collect a police pension and a city paycheck at the same time

Ex-TSA Nominee Resigns LA Airport Job

Erroll Souther---who withdrew his nomination to lead the Transportation Security Administration---is leaving his job at the Los Angeles Airport Police Department. Southers resigned as assistant chief of airport police to consider offers from a number of international security consulting firms. He also plans to expand his teaching role at the University of Southern California. A former FBI agent, Southers was President Obama's choice to lead the TSA. He pulled out his name in January when his confirmation was blocked by influential Republican lawmakers..

Gun Accidentally Discharges at Airport

It is reported that a passenger checking a gun accidentally discharged his weapon on the curbside of Terminal 1 of Salt Lake City International. The passenger was declaring his weapon to a Sky Cap when he either mishandled or dropped it. Bullet fragments hit the foot of a Sky Cap employee. He was treated on the scene and not transported to a hospital. To properly check a gun, the weapon must be in a hard, locked case and the entire weapon, including the chamber, must be cleared. The ammunition must be stored separately.