Smiths Detection has won a contract to supply Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport with 14 advanced people-screeners which use millimetre-wave technology to check passengers for concealed weapons or explosives. The Eqo portal systems, which fully protect privacy through Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) software, will be used in secondary screening of departing passengers who may have raised alarms during initial checks.
Bought by the Manila International Airport Authority via the Philippines distributor, Defense & Protection Systems Phil. Inc, the Eqos are due to be operational at four terminals by June 2015. Nathan Manzi, Smiths Detection’s Regional Vice President, Asia Pacific, said: “Eqo is the most advanced scanner of its type in the world and was the first on the market to achieve the top performance standard from the EU/ECAC regulatory approval process. Easily integrated into existing checkpoint layouts, Eqo will provide Ninoy Aquino Airport a versatile means of enhancing security in airport screening.”
Eqo, which bounces harmless mm-waves off the body and then analyses the reflected data, uses a generic outline graphic to highlight any suspicious items detected. Unlike currently deployed scanners, Eqo can distinguish both metallic and non-metallic objects. Its real-time analysis and presentation of the results help speed up the screening process. Now deployed in airports around the world, Eqo is also used in prison, military, customs and other critical infrastructure applications.
