A LUGGAGE SIMULATION TOOL FOR EXPLOSIVES DETECTION SYSTEMS

COMPUTER MODELING OF MULTIDETECTOR, THREE-DIMENSIONAL IMAGING EXPLOSIVES DETECTION DEVICES IS A CRITICAL ASPECT OF THE DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION OF THESE SYSTEMS. FOR ANY SYSTEM MODEL, THE TARGET LUGGAGE IS A COMMON DENOMINATOR. A LUGGAGE SIMULATION TOOL WHICH COULD GENERATE DATA FILES FOR INPUT INTO ANY SUCH CODE MUST HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO GENERATE REALISTIC OBJECTS OF MANY DIFFERENT TYPES, SHAPES, AND PACKING ORIENTATIONS, AND PROVIDE DATA ON THE PERTINENT PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF EACH OBJECT, INCLUDING EXPLOSIVES. THE RESULTANT DATA WOULD BE IN THE FORM OF A THREE DIMENSIONAL MAP OF THE LUGGAGE CONTENTS WITH SOME MINIMUM DEFINABLE RESOLUTION. WE ENVISION A TOOL WHICH COULD EVOLVE INTO SEVERAL EMBODIMENTS OF VARYING COMPLEXITY, INCLUDING AN EXPERT SYSTEM WHICH WOULD PACK LUGGAGE WITH A MINIMUM OF OR NO USER INTERACTION AND COULD PRODUCE PERHAPS THOUSANDS OF BAGS FOR EVALUATION. SUCH A TOOL WOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL EXPLOSIVES DETECTION SYSTEMS DEVELOPERS TO ENHANCE THEIR EFFORT BY MINIMIZING UNCERTAINTIES AND INSTILLING CONFIDENCE IN THE DESIGN OF THEIR DEVICES. THE FAA WOULD THEN BENEFIT THROUGH CONSIDERABLE DEVELOPMENTAL COST SAVINGS.