Explosives detection improved by new X-ray technique

Security X-ray - Illegal and dangerous items, such as explosives, could be detected with 100% efficiency, using artificial intelligence (AI) and a new X-ray approach developed by a team led by UCL academics. Some explosives can be difficult to spot using conventional X-ray alone, and the new method could revolutionise how illicit materials such as narcotics, illegal wildlife and explosives are detected. The findings have significant implications for the security sector, with potential to support healthcare and industry. For the paper, published in Nature Communications , the engineers combined a new X-ray measuring technique with AI machine learning, and tested it in a custom-developed X-ray security scanner, using objects containing hidden explosive material as well as safe objects. Study lead Professor Olivo had discovered through his earlier research that microscopic changes or irregularities in objects cause X-ray beams to bend as they pass through them. His current work explores the potential applications of this phenomenon through his Chair in Emerging Technologies, funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering. The new method relies on measuring these tiny bends as the beam moves through objects of different textures.