Airport security checkpoints are synonymous with the stressful and complex process of having to juggle with bags, liquids, and electrical appliances. Passengers are rediscovering the pleasures of flight… along with some of the more laborious aspects of catching a plane such as that delicate phase at the security checkpoint where liquids and electronic items have to be removed from our hand luggage and scanned separately. In this context, Thales is developing a new scanner named HELIXVIEW™, which could enhance the airport experience for both passengers and airlines companies.
HELIXVIEW™ is an innovative EDSCB C3 scanner that is stationary, meaning there is no rotating gantry around the scanner tunnel through which the bags are conveyed.
Indeed, instead of a regular imaging system consisting of a single X-Ray source and its detectors, HELIXVIEW™ is stationary, with multiple X-Ray sources strategically positioned around the scanner tunnel.
It is the first scanner EDSCB C3 to use X-Ray sources based on carbon-nanotubes, which allows HELIXVIEW™ to have multiple ultra-lightweight stationary sources. This is a key disruptive technology developed by Thales.
With this new technology, HELIXVIEW™ is the lightest EDSCB C3, arount 1 tonne, compared with 2 to 2.5 tonnes for other EDSCB C3 scanners.
HELIXVIEW™ is also the most compact with a 30% footprint reduction compared to other EDSCB C3 scanner, meaning HELIXVIEW™ is particularly compatible with airports’ integration constraints.
Finally, it is the only scanner that has room underneath the machine for returning empty trays. This means that when HELIXVIEW™ is integrated with a TRS (Tray Return System), there is no need for scanner elevation and conveyors slopes (which can generate various conveying issues).