Innovation corner

Oct 1, 2006 12:00 PM

           

Let There Be (No) Light

A surveillance technology from Vumii Inc., Atlanta, makes it possible to identify subjects clearly in zero light. Discoverii uses near-infrared laser illumination below the visible spectrum to display objects and features in normal daylight appearance even in pitch-black darkness. Unlike thermal-based systems, the technology lets you see through the windows of vehicles and buildings, read symbols and writing, and recognize faces as far away as 3,300 feet. Because it uses near-infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye, no one suspects they are being watched. Applications might include perimeter security, retail centers, hospitals and corporate offices. Visit vumii.com.

Anthrax: Detection the Best Defense?

Hey building managers: Is your facility fortified against bio-terror attacks? The anthrax-laden envelopes sent to the American Media Building and the Hart Senate Building in 2001 demonstrated that biological weapons are not only a viable means of inflicting casualties on U.S. soil but also that some groups will not hesitate to use them. “Most buildings are not equipped to deal with biological attacks, and terrorism insurance policies do not provide sufficient, if any, coverage,” according to a report by Universal Detection Technology. “The cost of adoption and implementation of technologies and procedures for early detection of biological weapons is miniscule compared to the liability, loss of life and business interruption that would result from an unnoticed attack.” The company's BSM-2000 bacterial spore detection system continuously samples the air and uses heat to “pop” the anthrax spores; thus releasing a chemical called dipicolinic acid, which instantly reacts with the chemical sensor. Visit udetection.com.

This Number Will Self Destruct

People can be smart. Phones can be smart. But can credit cards be smart? Product developers at SiPix Imaging Inc., Fremont, Calif., think so. The company has teamed up with SmartDisplayer Technology Co., Taiwan, to develop a 0.25mm thin, low-power display panel embedded onto an ISO-compliant payment card. When a user wants to complete a transaction, the e-paper generates a random number on the card's screen. The number is entered once to prove the presence of the card and to authorize the transaction. Then it disappears forever. The technology was designed to help curb remote fraudulent transactions and identity theft, which have morphed into a multi-million dollar business. SiPix combined its Microcup Electronic Paper with One-Time-Password DisplayCard technology from Innovative Card Technologies, Los Angeles, and secure authentication technology from nCryptone, Boulogne, France, to create the “smart” credit card.

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