FAA Technical Center, Contracts Branch ACM-510, Atlantic City International Airport, NJ 08405

A -- HIGH SPEED COMPUTER TOMOGRAPHY EXPLOSIVE DETECTION DEVICE DEVELOPMENT SOL DTFA03-00-0-0000 DUE 090195 POC Mr. Ed Rao, Engineer, 609-485-6996 Ms. Kathy Fazen, Grants Officer, 609-485-4431. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Technical Center announces the availability of a solicitation requesting applications for a grant to design a Computer Tomography (CT) based Explosive Detection System. The FAA intends to enter into one or more cooperative agreements, or to make one or more grants, or establish a combination of such arrangements, to support this research. The intent of this project is to stimulate the development of a CT-based system that meets or exceeds present FAA certification criteria. Overview: The FAA is authorized under Section 107 of the Aviation Security Improvement Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-604) to award grants for the implementation of technologies and procedures to counteract terrorist acts against civil aviation. Further, Section 307 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-305) permits the Administrator to enter into cooperative agreements, on a cost sharing basis, with Federal and non-Federal entities to conduct aviation research, engineering and development, including the development of prototypes and demonstration models. The FAA has criteria for certification of Explosion Detection Systems (EDS) which call for the equipment to detect, under realistic air carrier operating conditions, the amounts, configurations and types of explosive materials likely to be used to cause catastrophic damage to commercial aircraft. At present, only one EDS device based on medical scan technology has been certified by the FAA. This project has as a goal the development of alternative CT-based explosive detection systems to foster competition in the EDS market. Greater competition should lead to lower prices, greater innovation, and ultimately, greater safety for the air traveler. Technical Summary: The potential of computer tomography for detecting and identifying explosives concealed in baggage/packages has long been recognized. CT images are created by quantitatively determining the x-ray attenuation by materials within a cross section and mapping these values in a reconstruction matrix. The three dimensional image presented has many views and a high resolution and can be maneuvered in real time. The grant seeks to improve the performance of an EDS device in terms of high detection probabilities, high throughput rates, low false alarm rate and a low unit cost. The application should consist of a technical proposal covering the methodology and technical approaches on the following life cycle aspects of EDS prototype development: a. Preliminary Design Phase, b. Final Design Phase, and c. Prototype Fabrication and Testing Phase. The developed prototype will meet or exceed FAA's criteria for certification of explosive detection systems. The certification criteria are classified and require that the applicant's principal investigator have a security clearance at the confidential level. Clearance information should be addressed to: Ms Karen Clark, ACT-008, FAA Technical Center, Atlantic City International Airport, New Jersey, 08405, telephone 609-485-6692, and facsimile 609-485-5690. A meeting open to all interested applicants will be held approximately three weeks after the publication of this announcement, at Building 315, FAA Technical Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey. A special classified briefing on the certification criteria will also be held at that time to release and clarify the classified data on the project. The exact details of the date and time of these meetings will be provided in the solicitation publication. The closing date for the receipt of the grants proposals is September 1, 1995. The developed prototype explosives detection device will meet or exceed specified detection and false alarm rates while achieving a high throughput rate and low unit cost. The target throughput rate is 600-700 bags per hour and the target unit cost is approximately $500,000 per deployable unit. The performance period for the grant is not to exceed 24 months from the date of award. For more information of a technical nature, call Ed Rao, AAR-510, FAA Technical Center, Atlantic City International Airport, New Jersey 08405, telephone 609-485-6996, facsimile 609-383-1973. To obtain a copy of the project solicitation, call Ms Kathleen Fazen, FAA Aviation Research Grant Program, FAA Technical Center, Atlantic City International Airport, New Jersey 08405, telephone 609-485-4431, facsimile 609-485-6509. (0192)

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