Selected Systems for the Detection of Human Stowaways in Air Cargo Containers

In the spring of 2005, the United States Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) commissioned a study to identify effective methods for the detection of human stowaways in air cargo containers. A market survey was initially conducted that identified existing COTS products. That survey identified four products that were deemed worthy of further test and evaluation: the CD-2 human occupancy detector (HOD), handheld carbon dioxide (CO₂) detector; the RadarVision2, a through-wall motion sensor using ultra-wide band (UWB) radar technology; the advanced vehicle interrogation and notification (AVIAN) heartbeat detector (HBD), a vibration-sensing system; and the MicroSearch human presence detection system (HPDS), a vibration-sensing system (similar to the AVIAN HBD, above)