RaySecur, a security imaging company with the world’s first DHS Safety Act-designated T-ray desktop scanner for mail and package threat detection, has been awarded a Phase II grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) for $1 million to conduct research and development (R&D) on its 4D-AI threat detection software platform for MailSecur scanners. The artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities will greatly enhance mail screening efficiency and enable custom detection features to flag threats and other items of interest unique to a particular organization.
The NSF grant funding is awarded to a select number of companies to support the research and development of deep technologies with the potential to transform their respective industries. RaySecur will use these funds to further develop and expand its AI threat detection software for T-ray image processing in the MailSecur mail scanner. The AI platform ingests full-motion concealed T-ray mail imaging data combined with contextual information, like barcode tracking and optical character recognition, to help users better understand an item’s potential risk and enhance threat detection.
“We greatly appreciate the NSF’s continued support, which highlights the cutting-edge work our technical teams are doing to push the limits of AI applied to real-time T-ray imaging data,” said Alex Sappok, Ph.D., CEO, RaySecur. “Since MailSecur users are often non-security experts, this technology will help them to better identify real threats and hoaxes – better protecting their peers and the business from potentially million-dollar shutdowns – while also providing more situational context to emergency responders on the scene.”
MailSecur is a desktop scanner that intercepts and detects mail and package threats with 4D dynamic real-time imaging. It is the first of its kind to receive Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designation as a Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology (QATT) under the DHS Safety Act. Unlike X-rays, which emit harmful radiation and require safety inspections and trained operators, MailSecur uses safe T-rays, or mmWaves. It requires no special training and is 300X more sensitive than X-rays at detecting powders or liquids, which comprise most mail security threats. Each scanner is connected to a RaySecur private wireless network with direct one-touch remote access to trained military Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) professionals that assist MailSecur users as they work to resolve a threat.
“NSF is proud to support the technology of the future by thinking beyond incremental developments and funding the most creative, impactful ideas across all markets and areas of science and engineering,” said Andrea Belz, Division Director of the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships at NSF. “With the support of our research funds, any deep technology startup or small business can guide basic science into meaningful solutions that address tremendous needs.”