Fido explosives detector
[1][2] It was developed by Nomadics, a subsidiary of ICX Technologies (now owned by FLIR Systems), in the early 2000s as part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Dog's Nose program.
[9][10] The thin film consists of many repeating chains of amplifying fluorescent polymers that naturally emit visible light when exposed to ultraviolet rays.
[10] The fluorescent polymer film is coated on the interior surface of the tiny glass tubes that the Fido explosives detector use to draw in air.
[5][10][12] The Fido explosives detector provides near real-time, almost instantaneous analysis of the sampled air by registering the intensity of the photomultiplier tubes, which is inversely proportional to the mass of analyte that binds to the polymer films.
[6] In 1995, chemist Timothy Swager at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was the first to demonstrate the possibility of sensory signal amplification using the molecular wire approach.
[15] The system was further modified and field tested by different organizations within the U.S. Department of Defense, including the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and the Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD).
[16][17] The Fido explosives detector was promoted by Nomadics as a low-cost system since most of the hardware, aside from the AFP, consists of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronic and optical components.
[18] By 2004, funding from the Army Research Office (ARO) led to the development of a miniature handheld prototype of the Fido explosives detector that was capable of operating for about six hours on a single rechargeable battery.
Initially proposed by the then-Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASAALT), the project was spearheaded by the Joint IED Defeat Task Force (JIEDDTF) as part of a 90-day delivery schedule that promised to produce ten integrated systems for soldiers in combat spaces.
[22] However, due to challenges with cost and time restrictions, only half of the proposed ten prototype units were ultimately produced, tested, and fielded in Afghanistan and Iraq.
[22][23] While the fielded prototypes encountered technical problems that hindered performance, repairs by teams of scientists from different Army labs were able to resolve much of the arising issues.
[22] Other efforts included the development of Neural Robotics, Inc.'s AutoCopter, which had the detector mounted on a small, unmanned helicopter platform, as well as the integration of the detection system into the Foster-Miller TALON and the U.S. Marine Corps’ Dragon Runner.
[26] Blind field tests for the Fido explosives detector first took place at a DARPA facility at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO in order to evaluate the performance of the device compared to that of trained canines.
However, even the canine team with real-world experience finding landmines faced difficulty performing the task due to very hot and dry weather conditions on the field.
The study also found that the traces of explosive-related compounds (ERCs) are largely transported through the movement of water in the soil rather than by molecular diffusion.
The Fido explosives detector was used to analyze samples taken from each cell in each lane in order to determine the location of the buried mines under very low concentration calibration standards.
The study concluded that while the Fido explosives detector may have difficulty with identifying the exact location of buried landmines, it may be useful in detecting the presence of mine clusters.
[29] However, data collected from various field tests support the conclusion that the Fido explosives detector possesses TNT detection capabilities at least comparable to that of a trained sniffer dog.
In addition, advocates for the device have argued that the Fido system allows for explosives detection in situations better suited for machines than with a dog and a handler, such as in extreme environments with harsh weather conditions.
[35] Outside of the military domain, the Fido explosives detector was incorporated as a tool for airport and building security and even saw use by the National Park Police during the July 4 celebration in 2006 at the Washington D.C.
The handheld version of the system was named one of the top ten greatest inventions by the U.S. Army in 2005, and the Packbot robotic platform with the integrated Fido explosives detector received the same award in 2006.
