Real-Time Vapor Detection of Explosive Material

Phase I provides a proof-of-concept for a real-time method of detecting vapors of explosive material present in land mines. Land mines kill or maim 26,000 people per year, often long after military actions cease. The most common detection method--metal detection-- is increasingly ineffective for state-of-the-art antipersonnel mines, yet no consistently reliable, real-time alternative exists. To combat this, new detection technologies that detect the chemical signature of the vapor emanating from the explosive material have been suggested. Sensoria proposes a microelectromechanical system that is selective to specific vapors and provides continuous monitoring of the surrounding environment. The technology will not require sophisticated user knowledge for result interpretation and could be designed as a low-power, hand-held device. Our goal is to provide a technology that will be sufficiently selective to distinguish explosive vapor from a complex matrix of potential interferents and that will be sufficiently sensitive to provide real-time detection of trace-level vapor concentrations.