The National Institute of Standards (NIST) has developed an electromagnetic “phantom”—a carbon and polymer mixture that simulates the human body—that is intended to improve and standardize the testing of walk-through metal detectors. Currently, detectors are tested using human volunteers carrying various metallic objects or pieces of plywood on which the objects are mounted. Problems arise with human subjects because of variances in body size, make-up, or gait that cause inconsistent consults. Researchers in NIST’s Electromagnetics Division mixed a polymer carbon black (a fine powder made almost entirely of elemental carbon) to yield a low-cost, easily molded compound that can mimic the electrical conductivity of the human body, which includes blood, bone, fat, organs, muscle, and skin. The material is placed on a non-conductive frame in a form that simulates the mass and height of the average American adult male and is passed through the detector-under-test at a speed of 0.5 meters per second, the common walking pace for a male adult. A standard has been developed to determine a detector’s ability to discriminate between threatening and non-threatening objects.Learn more details at the NIST website.
NIST Develops Electromagnetic Phantom for Testing Metal Detectors
