Explosives detection systems (EDS) for aviation security

The detection of explosives and illicit material for the purposes of aviation security is an important area for preventing terrorism and smuggling. A number of different methods of explosive detection have been developed in the past that can detect such material from a very small up to a very large quantity. For the purposes of aviation security, the checks are performed on passengers, their carry on luggage, checked baggage, and cargo containers. Similar technology is used in post-offices for detecting dangerous substances in mail. In this paper we review some of these technologies and in particular discuss the application of computers for the analysis of data and images generated from security equipment. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.