PNNL

Abstract

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is presently deploying 120 millimeter-wave whole body scanners at 21 airports in the United States. Body worn concealed threats and body features are both displayed to the security operator of this device. To remove concerns about privacy, the TSA integrates software techniques and operational procedures. The software technique used is to blur the facial features in the three-dimensional millimeter-wave imagery. The operational technique used is to display the image to an operator in remote location so that there is no association with imagery and the person under surveillance. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory originated this novel security technology and has continued to enhance the state-of-the-art by performing significant research to remove human features from the imagery. Both physical and software imaging techniques have been employed. The physical imaging techniques include polarization diversity illumination and reception, dual frequency implementation, and high frequency imaging at 60 GHz. Software imaging techniques to enhance the privacy of the person under surveillance include extracting concealed threat artifacts from the imagery to automatically detect the threat. This paper will focus on a software privacy technique using a dual surface dielectric depth detector method.