Quantum Technology Sciences, Inc. (QTSI), a geophysics-based security and surveillance solutions provider, has announced a novel seismic sensing technology for the security market.
The unprecedented technology combines a proprietary buried seismic sensor with a sophisticated suite of detection and classification algorithms. In concert, they deliver a three-dimensional awareness zone of protection for perimeters and valued assets, detecting, classifying and reporting multiple airborne, terrestrial, underground and waterborne threats from significant distances, both inside and outside a security perimeter.
“Seismic sensing for these applications has gotten a black eye over the years,” said Dr. Mark Tinker, president of QTSI. “The traditional seismic sensors for this are geophones, but they were designed for the petroleum industry, not for passive, persistent surveillance. As a result, geophone-based systems have limited sensitivity and can be prone to false alarms.”
The QTSI technology is fully automated and utilizes a vibration sensor which is neither a geophone nor a seismometer. Neither does the technology have the fencing or long installation trench requirements of cable-based optical or RF sensors. Small sensors buried invisibly in the earth detect vibrations caused by activity on, under or above ground or water in the sensor’s vicinity. Sophisticated algorithms automatically determine in real time the type of threat. The resulting actionable information can then stand alone or be an integral component of a perimeter security system, providing an awareness perimeter that is three-dimensional , persistent and significant.
“For security applications, the time available for reaction is a precious commodity,” said Tinker. “The QTSI technology can report approaching aircraft and watercraft when they are well over a mile away, can report vehicles approaching from up to a half mile away, and can report people approaching on foot from up to several hundred yards away, even if they are hidden from view behind topography, in woods, vegetation, darkness or behind buildings. This provides extra space and time for response, enables truly proactive security, and will make the work of those tasked with persistent situational awareness that much easier and effective.”
