Check out LOCH news: ". . revolutionary breakthrough for land mine detection . ."
Lonnie A. Wilson, Ph.D., Research Professor at the Naval
Business Wire
May 3 2000 2:24AM ET
Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA Evaluates Loch's ELF Landmine Detection System
Business Editors
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 3, 2000--Due to many misunderstandings in the interested
scientific community, Loch
Harris, Inc. (OTCBB:LOCH) invited Dr. Lonnie A. Wilson, Professor at the US Naval Postgraduate
School, to investigate the scientific
basis for the operation and functions of the ELF landmine detection system. Dr. Wilson witnessed a
demonstration of the unit,
evaluated its operation and interviewed the ChemTech scientific team. His resulting paper follows:
May 2, 2000
The ELF Sensor
White Paper Summary
Prepared by
Lonnie A. Wilson, Ph.D.
Introduction
Wide bandwidth (active and passive) sensors are dramatically extending performance capabilities of
Surveillance, Remote Sensing
and Targeting Systems far beyond previous narrow bandwidth sensor systems. For example, wide
bandwidth Radar Sensors
routinely perform target detection, target imaging, and target identification functions with high
performance results and long ranges in
the microwave spectrum. Also, wide bandwidth Electronic Warfare Systems easily perform
fine-grained emitter identification
functions across all frequency bands of interest at extended ranges.
Wide bandwidth is one key parameter for advanced sensor techniques that provides new operational
performance capabilities. The
entire sensor system must be wide bandwidth, which includes transmitter or source, signal-target
interactions, receiver, detector and
processor. Wide bandwidth provides significant additional target information, which cannot be
extracted using narrow bandwidth
techniques. Promising wide bandwidth sensor techniques are being considered for Counter
Terrorism, Security Screening, and
Facility Protection applications. ELF is a promising new sensor, which needs to be explored and
evaluated for these applications.
The active ELF Sensor utilizes wide bandwidth techniques to perform land mine detection and mine
material classification. A
practical solution, to the world land mine problem, demands (requires) an automatic sensor system
that accurately detects,
classifies and locates mines, in near real time and practical ranges. The ELF system uses a tailored
broad bandwidth X-ray
technique to solve this important problem. ELF's wide bandwidth makes it distinct from classical
X-ray systems that use narrow
bandwidth implementations. The ELF sensor is currently in the research and development phase and
ready for controlled field tests,
evaluations and demonstrations.
R&D Laboratory Tests
The prototype ELF sensor completed initial R&D laboratory testing using land mines materials
packaged in background soil at
ChemTech in Tucson, AZ and Croatia. LOCH previously reported that ELF demonstrated 100%
correct detection and 100% correct
successful classification of landmine materials in several laboratory tests and demonstrations.
In addition, Vladivoj Valkovic, Vice President Scientific Council of Croatian Demining Center,
presented at the "4th. International
Symposium on Technology and the Mine Problem" in Monterey, CA., March 13, 2000. He stated
ELF's performance was 100%
successful (detection and classification) for three sets of laboratory tests and 100% successful on
one simple field demonstration, at
two meters range. Mr. Valkovic - CROMAC report has independently verified ELF laboratory tests
results, which were reported earlier
by ChemTech.
These successful laboratory tests, at two meters range, sparked considerable interest in the wide
bandwidth ELF sensor for potential
Counter Terrorism, Security Screening, Facility Protection and other applications.
I witnessed an ELF demonstration at the ChemTech facility in Tucson, AZ during April 2000. ELF
tests were 100% accurate
(detection and classification) with no false alarms. Wide bandwidth ELF signatures, for each mine
material, were visually unique and
different, (observed on PC display) and exhibited good signal-to-noise ratio for sensor range of two
meters.
Technical Discussion
The ELF System contains ChemTech trade secrets. These trade secrets will not be divulged or
detailed here, but key scientific
concepts will be summarized in layman's terms. The ELF sensor appears to be a revolutionary
breakthrough for land mine detection,
classification and location, just like wide bandwidth Radar was a revolutionary breakthrough for
Surveillance and Targeting
applications. The ELF sensor technology is summarized below.
1. Fluorescing wavelength (energy)
X-ray fluorescing is traditionally dimensioned in keV (energy) units, but equivalently dimensioned in
wavelength or frequency units.
Wavelength comparisons are used here. Wavelength variations for conventional X-ray fluorescence
are rather small. They have
conventional fluorescence scatter data on 103 compounds, and the average delta wavelength is
1.281 percent. Clearly, conventional
X-ray fluorescence is narrow bandwidth phenomena. ChemTech's uses a very broad bandwidth
X-ray source with selected center
wavelength in the long wavelength X-ray region. The center wavelength is nominally centered within a
wavelength window that exhibits
low atmospheric absorption rates. They discovered this low absorption window in the X-ray region,
which the ELF system utilizes.
The newly discovered X-ray window and ELF details are proprietary and treated as ChemTech trade
secrets. ChemTech believes
conventional X-ray researchers have not discovered this low atmospheric absorption window.
Absorption is reduced more than an
order of magnitude in this window.
Their X-ray fluorescence (experimental) results give average delta wavelength of 500 to 1000
percent. Precise delta wavelength
numbers are difficult to ascertain because their X-ray source is very broad bandwidth. The broad
bandwidth source results in unique
excitation signatures with large delta wavelength, which could not be observed in conventional narrow
bandwidth X-ray systems.
Other researchers assume the veracity of "classical" information available, which indicates air
absorbs nearly all the energy at
essentially point blank range for all wavelengths in the X-ray region. In summary, absorption rates are
much lower than published
"classical data" for this newly discovered X-ray window. ELF system uses a broad bandwidth X-ray
source, the low atmospheric
absorption window, and broad bandwidth detector and processor, which result in their unique
signatures. Classical researchers never
attempt to observe these signatures. ELF system design is based on this broad bandwidth X-ray
fluorescing, which is critical to the
ELF system successful detection and identification performance at extended ranges. Source
wavelength is adjusted to provide
maximum cross section for molecular absorption.
2. Detector
A standard, yet highly specialized, germanium crystal is modified to maximize detector sensitivity
over the spectrum (low absorption
X-ray window - low energy or long wavelength X-ray). Detector sensitivity and dynamic range are
sufficient to extract broad bandwidth
signatures. ELF laboratory tests and demonstrations reveal 100% detection and 100% identification
performance at 2 meters range.
Classical X-ray systems cannot duplicate this performance.
3. X-ray source
The X-ray source is optimized for long X-ray wavelengths that correspond to the low absorption
window determined in the earlier
experimentation. The combined X-ray source and associated optics, which includes micro focus
technology, are unique and
proprietary to ChemTech.
4. Detection and Identification Algorithms and Software Hardware and software developments have
made extraordinary progress or
improvements, since the original concept development eight years ago. Detection & identification
algorithms and associated software
implementations have migrated significantly from the original neural net based design.
They have optimized signal detection and processing algorithms and ID decision-making algorithms.
These optimizations include
high performance processing to:
a. Achieve near maximum Signal-to-Noise Ratios (SNR),
b. Maximize probability of detection,
c. Minimize probability of false alarms,
d. Reduce background signatures,
e. Significantly reduce stray signatures,
f. Maximize system performance for all wavelengths and down to minimum detector sensitivities,
g. Maximize probability of correct ID,
h. Minimize probability of incorrect ID, and
i. Improved detection time and ID time,
j. Increase detection and ID range. A 6-dB SNR improvement will double operating range.
k. Automate all processing functions and control-using PC based system.
High quality collection hardware and digitization units provide digital data in the proper format to the
PC. The PC performs control
functions, digital signal processing and optimization functions, executes decision-making algorithms
and presents or displays
signature information and detection and ID results, in near real time. A high performance PC easily
accomplishes all functions using
high speed CPU, high speed RAM and large virtual memory. In addition, they have integrated
acquisition and compare modules with
source and data collection subsystems to provide characterization data, power input and timing
control functions and other operator
safety features. The proprietary ELF system design uses ChemTech trade secrets. Additionally, the
complete software package is
ChemTech proprietary, except for the multichannel analyzer interface drivers. Detection, signal
processing and identification
algorithms and associated software are not currently documented.
Lonnie A. Wilson, Ph.D., Curriculum vitae:
Lonnie A. Wilson, Ph.D., is a Research Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department with joint appointments in
Information Warfare and Space Systems Academic Groups at the Naval Postgraduate School,
Monterey, CA. Professor Wilson has
taught Electronic Warfare Systems, Radar Systems, Communication Systems and Digital Signal
Processing courses. He has MS
degree in Engineering (June 1969) and Ph.D. degree in Engineering (June 1973) from UCLA, Los
Angeles, CA.
Dr. Wilson has successfully developed Surveillance and Targeting Sensor Systems, Remote
Sensors and Missile Guidance and
Control Systems for more than 30 years with the US Navy (Naval Weapons Center, China Lake, CA,
Naval Air Systems Command,
Washington, DC and Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA) and SigPro Systems, Inc. He
developed wide bandwidth Radar
Systems with automatic target detection and classification capabilities, wide bandwidth Electronic
Warfare Systems with specific
emitter identification capabilities, Forward Looking Infrared Sensors and Laser Sensor Systems for
Airborne Navy applications. He
worked in the commercial sector for more than 10 years developing Surveillance and Targeting
Sensor Systems.
Dr. Wilson's current research interests include high performance Radar, Virtual Digital Receivers and
Electronic Warfare Systems for
precision target identifications, and IR, X-ray and UV Sensors and associated DSP Identification
techniques for Counter Terrorism,
Personnel Protection, Security Screening, Facility Protection and other applications.
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