Relocatable VACIS® Inspection System

Overview

The Relocatable VACIS® unit is designed to provide detailed radiographic images of large objects, specifically large vehicles and cargo containers, by non-intrusive means. It is capable of full target (bumper-to-bumper) scans of objects up to 70 ft. (21.3 m) long. The unit consists of two 90 ft. (27.4 m) long tracks, a gamma ray source, and a 21 ft. (6.4 m) high detector tower.

Applications

The Relocatable VACIS unit can support many requirements, including land border checkpoint contraband screening, seaport container and truck screening, manifest verification and duty capture, force protection (military and high-threat vehicle screening), and VIP vehicle security screening.

Features

The Relocatable VACIS unit utilizes a low-level gamma ray radiation source to penetrate vehicles and cargo. Absorption of this low-level radiation is progressively measured by a sensitive array of detectors located on the opposing side of the object. The truck, or target, remains stationary during inspection, and the source and detector arrays move synchronously along a set of parallel tracks to cover the target's full length. Absorption data is then fed to a computer where a digital image is formed and optimized for display on a high resolution video monitor. The radiographic image is analyzed by the operator, and appropriate steps are taken if apparent contraband and/or threat objects are present. Further image analysis is available to the operator through the integrated image processing software tools supplied with the system. Image storage, transfer, and recall capabilities are included. See photo

Benefits

Utilization of gamma rays, as opposed to x-rays, allows for overall lower costs, higher system availability, ease of maintenance, and a smaller exclusion zone. The Relocatable VACIS unit typically scans at speeds of about 1 ft. (30 cm) a second, allowing for full inspection of a 40 ft. (12.2 m) container in less than one minute. The system is easily relocated, with disassembly and reassembly taking less than a day each.

SAIC's VACIS® Inspection Systems are certified as approved products for Homeland Security under the Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act of 2002 (the SAFETY Act).

* These items are available for purchase on the General Services Administration Law Enforcement and Security Equipment Contract GS-07F-0210J.