A cure for contraband

Jan. 12, 2004
A cure for contraband In the continuing quest to secure our borders against attacks, the U.S. government is tapping into the most creative minds in the

A cure for contraband

In the continuing quest to secure our borders against attacks, the U.S. government is tapping into the most creative minds in the country to develop next-generation logistics security systems — whether or not they happen to be particularly well versed in logistics technology.

Legend has it that the graphical user interface for the original Apple personal computer, as well as laser printing and Ethernet were created at Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) (www.parc.com), a research think tank spun off from Xerox Corp. Illustrating that politics do indeed make strange bedfellows, PARC is teaming up with Varian Medical Systems Inc. (www.varian.com), a manufacturer of X-ray tubes and cancer therapy systems, to create ultra-sensitive X-ray inspection technology for cargo screening at airports and seaports.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (www.commerce.gov) has awarded $5.87 million in grants to PARC and Varian to create large-area detectors that will allow inspectors to detect contraband in cargo containers that can be examined quickly and cost-effectively.

“The goal is to develop cost-effective methods for making flat-panel sensor arrays many times larger than those used for medical imaging,” says Varian's Michael Green, technical manager for the project. Varian plans to commercialize the technology resulting from the project by developing components for manufacturers of baggage and cargo screening systems. LT

January, 2004

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About the Author

Dave Blanchard | Senior Director of Content

During his career Dave Blanchard has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. He also serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

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