Singapore – Attempts to smuggle weapons such as knives and guns through checkpoints could be quickly detected with the help of artificial intelligence.
Called the eXaminer, the technology was showcased at TechXplore, a biannual innovation and technology event hosted by the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX).
The event, held at the agency headquarters in Buonavista on Monday and Tuesday, also showcased other breakthroughs, such as unmanned ships to help combat fires at sea.
eXaminer was developed primarily to help immigration and immigration authority (ICA) image analysts screen parcels at checkpoints, says Dr. Go Ho Wee.
He is the Associate Director of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) Scanning Technologies and Analysis at HTX’s CBRNE Center of Expertise.
As online shopping increases air freight volumes, ICA turned to technology as a solution, he said.
eXaminer works with your existing X-ray scanner and uses deep learning computer vision to train algorithms to identify threats based on multiple images collected over time.
When an illegal item appears on the X-ray image, the inspector identifies the object and places a box and label around the item’s image on the screen to alert the image analyst.
The idea for a toolkit that could also detect certain contraband such as cigars was conceived in 2019. His two phase trials will take place in 2021 and his 2022 at the Changi Air Cargo Center.
According to Dr. Goh, the trial showed the technology to have a low false alarm rate of less than 5%.
He added that eXaminer could be extended to baggage screening at airports, ferry terminals and land checkpoints. It can also be used by police for baggage screening at large events.
The unmanned surface ship, which completed its first trials in August, has two water cannons to enhance the Singapore Civil Defense Force’s (SCDF) maritime firefighting and emergency response capabilities.
Equipped with sensors and algorithms to avoid collisions, the vessel will be able to navigate Singapore’s sea traffic autonomously, HTX said.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/ai-to-detect-smuggling-unmanned-vessel-to-fight-fires-at-sea-showcased-at-home-team-event AI to detect smuggled, unmanned ships to combat fires at sea showcased at home team event