Yingying Chen, Associate Director-WINLAB, is leading a team that received a $1.2M NSF grant for the project “Securing Public Safety with WiFi-based In-baggage Suspicious Object Detection.” This project aims to enhance public safety by developing a low-cost, portable system for detecting suspicious objects hidden in baggage using WiFi technology. Public safety has become an increasingly significant issue in the United States due to the potential threat posed by hidden weapons and homemade bombs in public places where extensive security checks are not available. Traditional security systems, such as X-ray machines and CT screening, are expensive and primarily deployed in high-security areas like airports and government buildings. This project proposes to leverage the existing prevalent WiFi infrastructure in many public spaces to enable the widespread deployment of an in-baggage detection system. Toward this end, the project team designs and develops a novel in-baggage suspicious object detection system that utilizes extracted signal features to determine materials and shapes of hidden objects, subsequently identifying suspicious items. The success of this collaborative project with George Mason University and Temple University will revolutionize public safety measures by making advanced security accessible and affordable for a broader range of venues (e.g., public schools, theme parks, sports stadiums, and scenic areas), thereby addressing the urgent need for enhanced safety in everyday public spaces.
More information of the award can be found at: