“There was nothing in the [optics] literature to predict that this would happen,” says Sandia National Laboratories researcher Dustin Carr of his group’s device, which reflects a bright light from a very small moving object.

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Like shadow pictures projected onto a wall by shining light through the fingers of one hand moving over the fingers of the other, the relatively simple measuring device depends upon a formerly unrecognized property of optics: light diffracted from very small gratings that move very small lateral distances undergoes a relatively big, and thus easily measurable, change in reflection.

A motion of 10 nanometers can be seen by the naked eye, says Carr. A nanometer is one-thousandth of a micron, which is one millionth of a meter. As for the device, size matters and small is crucial. “In standard MEMS [microelectromechanical] applications, though the devices are small, very few things that sell are dominated by a search for further miniaturization.

There’s not a motivation in MEMS to make things still smaller as a matter of cost. Economics of scale for integrated circuits just don’t apply to MEMS. But our device couldn’t exist unless you made it this small,” he says. Features are in the 100-200 nanometer range, with 300 nm between top and bottom combs and 600 to 900 nm between comb teeth.

The technology could one day power laptops and PDAs used by security officers for remote monitoring, or it could be integrated into remote wireless security devices.At the heart of the device is a protein complex dubbed Photosystem I (PSI). Derived from spinach chloroplasts, PSI is 10 to 20 nanometers wide. Around 100,000 of them would fit on the head of a pin.

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“They are the smallest electronic circuits I know of,” said researcher Marc A. Baldo, assistant professor of electronic engineering and computer science at MIT.

Baldo and other researchers from MIT, the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />University of Tennessee and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, including electrical and biomedical engineers, nanotechnology experts and biologists, collaborated on the world’s first solid-state photosynthetic solar cell. The work was reported in NanoLetters, a publication of the American Chemical Society.

“We have crossed the first hurdle of successfully integrating a photosynthetic protein molecular complex with a solid-state electronic device,” Baldo said.

Plants’ ability to generate energy has been optimized by evolution, so a spinach plant is extremely efficient, churning out a lot of energy relative to its size and weight.

But combining biological and non-biological materials in one device has stymied researchers in the past. Biological materials need water and salt to survive—both are deadly for electronics.

A new twist in the current work is a membrane of peptide surfactants—similar to the main ingredient in soap—that helped the photosynthetic complexes self-assemble and stabilize while the circuit was fabricated.

So far, scientists and engineers’ efforts to harness the photosynthetic properties of green plants have been most successful with naturally soft organic materials in liquid solutions. But if organic solar cells are to be practical for commercial devices, they need to be integrated with solid-state electronics.

The researchers ground up ordinary spinach and purified it with a centrifuge to isolate a protein deep within the cell. The resulting dark green pellets that smell like cut grass were purified still further and coaxed into a water-soluble state. One of the challenges was to keep the proteins in the same configuration as they appear naturally in the organism.

Here’s where peptides come in. The 80,000-plus kinds of proteins in our body, when in fragments called peptides, transform themselves like tiny LEGOs™ into millions of substances. Shuguang Zhang, associate director of MIT’s Center for Biomedical Engineering, discovered that these same peptides can be tweaked into forming completely new natural materials that perform useful functions. One of his designer nanomaterials, which acts like the main ingredient in soaps and detergents, turns out to be ideal for keeping protein complexes functional on a cold, hard surface.

The spinach-sandwich device has no water. Proteins usually need water to survive, but using Zhang’s detergent peptide, the researchers were able to stabilize the protein complexes in a dry environment for at least three weeks. “Detergent peptide turned out to be a wonderful material to keep proteins intact on the surface with electronics,” Zhang said. He speculates that the detergent material has some water trapped within it, similar to the way plant seeds hoard oils that maintain the seeds’ integrity in dry conditions.

The bottom layer of the molecular electronic device is transparent glass coated with a conductive material. A thin layer of gold helps the chemical reaction that assembles the spinach chlorophyll Photosystem I complexes. The researchers then evaporate a soft organic semiconductor that prevents electrical shorts and protects the protein complexes from the layer of metal that completes the sandwich.

The researchers shone laser light on the device to create optical excitation, then measured the resulting current. “An important caveat is that we got very little current out, mostly because we had just a thin layer of the complexes in our devices,” Baldo said. “Most of the optical excitation passed straight through without being absorbed. Of the light that was absorbed, we estimate that we converted around 12 percent to charge.”

The researchers hope to achieve a power conversion efficiency of 20 percent or more (which would provide an extremely efficient power source) by creating multiple layers of PSI or assembling them on rough surfaces or 3-D surfaces, like skyscrapers that concentrate a huge amount of surface area within a relatively small space.

The Certified Protection Professional (CPP) has been administered by ASIS for 27 years, and is acknowledged throughout the world as the highest recognition accorded a security management professional.

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For 15 years, (ISC)2 has validated information security professional standards through its certifications, including the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP(R)) and the Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP(R)) designations.

Timothy L. Williams, a member of the ASIS Board of Directors and Vice President, Corporate & Systems Security, Nortel Networks, said the agreement was significant because “all the certifications involved have great credibility in their respective fields, and this memorandum of understanding will bring synergy between these organizations that will further their respective purposes beyond their individual capacities and abilities.”

James E. Duffy, (ISC)2 president and CEO, said, “The consortium has long believed there needs to be seamless integration of all aspects of security policy throughout an organization to enhance the effectiveness of security measures. ASIS’ longstanding, global reputation in traditional security education and certification makes it a perfect collaborator in this endeavor.”

ASIS International announced the mutual endorsement of certifications today at its 50th Annual Seminar and Exhibits at the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />DallasConvention Center during a panel discussion on the Convergence of Enterprise Security Organizations from 8 to 9:30 a.m.

On average, the top 10 companies tripled revenues and doubled their workforces over the past 24 months. According to the Deloitte survey findings, <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Canada’s fastest growing technology companies increased their R&D investments over the last year by more than 26 per cent. On average, these companies invested $5.3 million

annually in R&D operations, with approximately 18% of their sales revenues re-invested in R&D each year. The survey findings also revealed that Fast 50 winners have expanded R&D hiring by 80% over the last year, compared to 2002. These findings reiterate the positive long-term market outlook shared among the Fast 50 winners.

In 2004, ASIS was the biggest it has ever been, with 2,245 booth spaces covering 220,450 net square feet and occupied by more than 840 companies. There was plenty of new gear and it doesn’t take much imagination to work out that the salient direction of technology was networking, CCTV, integration and biometrics.

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Rapid deployment wireless

ACCU-TECH and P-Com exhibited interoperability of various security products from several vendors. The solutions presented illustrated product configurations for rapid deployment video and low-cost fixed wireless applications including thermal imaging and advanced PTZ cameras. P-Com’s Wireless Video Surveillance Solutions meet the security needs of today’s federal and municipal governments, enterprises and corporations, schools and trade ports. Working with their strategic partner Accu-Tech, P- Com conducted a live demo of their SPEEDLAN 9200 product. P-Com will also exhibited the interoperability of various security products from several vendors to highlight the product’s rapid deployment video and low-cost fixed wireless applications, including thermal imaging and advanced PTZ cameras.

SPEEDLAN 9200 is the next generation in self-healing mesh technology and provides network operators enhanced capabilities to route signals around obstructions to deliver wireless broadband services. SPEEDLAN 9200 facilitates use of 5.8 GHz and 2.4 GHz OFDM technology, and supports speeds up to 54 Mb/s.

SPEEDLAN 9200, which supports remote access by mobile users with a laptop or PDA, also has hardware AES encryption with no throughput penalty. The product is well suited for current and emerging IP applications, and is optimized for video surveillance and security applications for ports, airports and a wide range of public infrastructure.

Robotic response

PATROLBOT, an enterprise security and safety robot, will demonstrated its new ability to automatically confront intruders in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Dallas. PatrolBot, from MobileRobots.com, speeds its robotic pan-tilt-zoom camera and 2-way audio to an intrusion site the instant facility security systems detect a possible break-in.

PatrolBots particularly help large enterprises consolidate security control. A security service that uses PatrolBots in outlying facilities can cut false alarms without incurring the cost of a full-time on-site guard. PatrolBot can act as surveillance “go-fer” for the central security staff for 3-5 years and can work multiple shifts for less than the expense of a single on-site security assistant for one shift, one year.

Explains MobileRobots, “Security, reliability and terrorist concerns all drive companies to exclude people from facilities housing sensitive data or critical processes. They’re planning to automate production, IT server rooms and security in key areas. A PatrolBot ‘go-fer’ cuts emergency service calls to automated facilities dramatically.”

PatrolBot employs ARCS controls shared by AGV’s and other smart robotic devices. Using sophisticated sensing and software, ARCS robots map buildings on-the-fly and navigate point-to-point without wires or other retrofitting. ARCS enterprise robots can share maps, making them highly scaleable. ARCS robots sense obstacles and find alternate routes if a path is blocked.

PatrolBots have been used in companies including Pfizer Global Research, Hewlett-Packard and Limited Brands. PatrolBots and ARCS are available in the US and many countries directly from MobileRobots.com; sales@MobileRobots.com . Integrator and OEM inquiries are welcome. Prices start at $30,000 US.

Pyramid Vision’s smart

PYRAMID Vision, the performance leader in intelligent video surveillance, announced at ASIS that it was now offering its state-of-the-art video surveillance technologies to security and law enforcement customers in Europe, the United Kingdom and Asia. Products include Hawk: An integrated, scaleable, rules-based security sensor management platform that creates a unified, multi-dimensional view of multiple alarm sensor types and video feeds.

Next comes VisionAlert Suite: The only commercially available solution to offer “motion-on-motion” detection capabilities fr both fixed and pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) cameras. By eectronically stabilizing video images and subtracting background motion, VisionAlert transforms video cameras into intelligent security sensors that spot perimeter breaches and abandoned or loitering objects, and track moving targets – even in low light or bad weather conditions.

There’s also Video Flashlight: An immersive surveillance tool that combines multiple camera feeds into a unified, three-dimensional view that an operator can actually travel through. It enables action-centric navigation, independent of specific camera controls and can be combined with Hawk or VisionAlert. Video Flashlight can integrate hundreds of sensors, including conventional gate alarms and fire/smoke detectors, in a comprehensive, contextual view.

Manufactured under an exclusive licensing arrangement with its parent company, Sarnoff Corporation, Pyramid Vision’s security products are based on a wide portfolio of patents that are fundamental to intelligent video surveillance. Patent protection includes applications such as detecting motion and objects in video sequences, as well as electronic image stabilization.

IPIX integrates with 3 DVR/NVR makers

IPIX Security, a supplier of video surveillance technology, announced integration of its award-winning video surveillance technology into DVR/NVRs manufactured by D3Data, On-Net Surveillance Systems, Inc. and Silicor Technologies at ASIS. Each company will now offer IPIX Security’s surveillance technology through their existing product lines, allowing end users the ability to view and capture Full-360 degree live or recorded video.

“The IPIX technology adds a new dimension to the security video market,” said ChrisHills, Managing Partner, D3Data. “Their mega pixel 360-degree viewing combined with our enterprise browser based solution is a perfect fit for our customers like the US Navy’s ‘SCORE’ training range.”

“IPIX has fully embraced the industry movement to digital video surveillance,” said Gadi Pitan, President and CTO, ONSSI. “IPIX’s high resolution and their ability to capture the entire area are unique capabilities, not available to traditional camera solutions because of the NTSC limitations.”

“Teaming with IPIX redefines the video surveillance industry,” said John Sires, CEO, Silicor Technologies. “Silicor Window Vision NVR/DVR is now able to use the power of the IPIX technology. Together, we bring a much needed innovation to the industry.”

Low cost ID camera

Datacard released its CS-100 digital camera at the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) Seminar and Exhibition in Dallas, Texas.

“This is the ideal camera for low-volume photo ID issuers who insist on high-quality images for a low cost,” said Mike Schnaus, vice president of marketing and corporate development for Datacard. “The CS-100 camera, combined with our card printer and identification software offerings, provide schools, small corporations and other organizations with complete low-end photo ID solutions that are tested, supported and serviced by Datacard Group,” said Schnaus.

The CS-100 camera also solves a common problem faced by low-volume secure ID card issuers. “There are a number of low-end, low cost cameras on the market that have internal flashes that are automatically disabled when tethered to a computer,” said Schnaus. “Having a functioning flash when the camera is connected to the computer is a key requirement for ID card issuance, and the CS-100 camera meets this need,” he said.

Texas Instruments and ObjectVideo

SPEEDING the development of digital video surveillance systems, Texas Instruments Incorporated and ObjectVideo announced at ASIS the launch of new video content analysis algorithms to run on TI’s digital media processors. The new technology will make intelligent video surveillance more accessible to the mass market and can save original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) significant development time in the creation of security applications.

Porting ObjectVideo’s video surveillance algorithms to TI’s high- performance, DM64x digital media processor will enable analytical capabilities to reside directly on devices, such as video cameras, digital video recorders, network encoders or other video management platforms. Distributing these capabilities throughout a security system diminishes the need for a centralized server and the hardware requirements for an intelligent security system, thereby reducing system requirements and the overall cost of ownership for the end user. Additionally, end users benefit from higher performance, more flexible configuration options and improved bandwidth utilization.

“TI’s advanced processor technology is helping to accelerate the adoption of next-generation digital video surveillance systems,” said Raul J. Fernandez, CEO, ObjectVideo. “Together, we will rapidly increase the availability and affordability of intelligent video surveillance capabilities to the marketplace and empower organizations with high-risk environments to better protect themselves against a variety of threats.”

Northrop Grumman integrated security

NORTHROP Grumman Corporation showed ts infrastructure protection services and advanced security solutions at the ASIS show. Northrop Grumman solutions are designed to help reduce security vulnerabilities to proactively respond and minimize risk. Northrop Grumman’s Information Technology (IT) sector displayed its video surveillance system, AlertVideo(tm). The system extracts valuable behavior and event information from existing surveillance systems and provides instantaneous visual and audible alerts. AlertVideo identifies potential threats and issues real-time alerts that highlight when, where and what needs immediate attention.

Also on display was the Incident Alerting and Assessment System (IAAS). IAAS consolidates and simplifies an organization’s management of multi-vendor security systems into one, easy-to-use monitoring workstation, illustrating a comprehensive view of its security environment. The software integrates physical- and cyber-security information from multiple, stand-alone systems, and provides users with a single portal for accessing and analyzing security events.

Northrop Grumman IT will also include SecurTracker(tm), a comprehensive security management tool that automates day-to-day security processes and documentation at classified facilities. Nine integrated modules support personnel security, programs, contracts, facilities, materials, computer security, visitor control, visit requests and badging.

Northrop Grumman’s Mission Systems sector demonstrated its integrated security solutions. Northrop Grumman has delivered more than 130 fixed and moveable security systems for military and civilian clients. The company’s customizable solutions include capabilities for early detection, notification, assessment, situation awareness, and command and control.

Marconi and VisioWave show next-gen networking

MARCONI and VisioWave showed network-based surveillance and security solutions for the protection of critical facilities at ASIS. Their solution combines VisioWave’s Intelligent Video Security Networks with Marconi’s reliable, secure Electronic Security System Networks for an integrated system that provides the security professional with real-time information for better decision-making and more management control during a crisis.

“At the ASIS International Seminar, Marconi and VisioWave showed mission-critical electronic security system networks that integrate real-time applications to protect people and property,” said Wayne Benoit, vice president of Marconi’s Secure Integrated Solutions group. “Marconi’s Secure Integrated Solutions enable integrated security applications by providing the most reliable, secure, flexible and scalable electronic security system networks available on the market today. Among Marconi’s installed, integrated security and surveillance solutions, are security networks at Miami International Airport for perimeter and access control, and in the Paris Metro, where 1,500 Local Area Networks are integrated with over 40,000 telephone lines, more than 8,000 video

surveillance cameras and about 300 video monitors.

CoreStreet and ASSA ABLOY show first disconnected smart locks

ASSA ABLOY and CoreStreet announced the development of a new line of door locks at ASIS, based on CoreStreet’s KeyFast technology. These are the first locks that successfully meet the promise of a centralized system for all security – physical and logical. The new, intelligent locks cost effectively extend the reach of existing security infrastructures, enabling connected and disconnected locations such as office buildings, college and university campuses, airplane doors, military bases and even cargo containers, to be centrally managed and secured.

With KeyFast-enabled products, connections are no longer required. This eliminates the main cost factor while substantially improving security – by allowing both connected and disconnected doors to be centrally managed. The KeyFast-enabled product line consists of Access Control Units (ACUs) and the corresponding Access Management Server (AMS). Together, the technology extends centrally managed access control to wired and unwired locations such as cargo containers, airplane cockpits, trucks, etc.

Three phases of Access Control Units are in development. The first ACU, which was being demonstrated at ASIS, looks much like a traditional card reader and is mounted near a door where it will send and receive permissions information. The second generation, due out in the first half of 2005, will be an integrated locking system that will include the door lock and the card reader in one unit. As the technology evolves, it will be embedded into an interchangeable core and be the size of a traditional door lock.

Datacard teams up with Intel

DATACARD announced at ASIS Seminar and Exhibition in Dallas, Texas, that it has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Intel as part of its effort to develop and market integrated solutions targeted at large enterprises and government customers.

“Our objective is to deliver integrated solutions that allow organizations to unite a variety of security control systems under one common platform,” said Mike Schnaus, vice president of marketing and corporate development for Datacard Group.

In addition to providing security personnel with consistent and reliable information for all facilities, this integrated platform allows companies and government agencies to improve and expand their security features while extending the life of existing hardware infrastructure and eliminating the need for replacement or expensive custom work.

Under this agreement, Datacard Group will apply its broad expertise in the fields of identification, security, smart cards and large application development and deliver offerings by leveraging its global distribution channels.

Quantum Sniffer released

IMPLANT Sciences Corporation released its “Quantum Sniffer” at ASIS. The Quantum Sniffer is the Company’s trace explosives detection device using the Company’s proprietary QS Ion Mobility Spectrometry technology, which electronically detects minute quantities of explosive vapor molecules in the air. These units may be used to determine the presence of, or confirm the absence of, common explosives in personal equipment, packages, postal mail and cargo that may be conveyed by persons, vehicles, airplanes, and watercraft.

Dr. Anthony J. Armini, Chairman and CEO of Implant Sciences commented, “After many years of research and development, we are excited about the opportunity to unveil our production ready version of the Quantum Sniffer at this important exhibit for security professionals. The equipment exhibited includes devices that will soon be submitted to the US Navy and the TSA in accordance with the terms of currently existing contracts with these agencies.

Releases from Duraswitch

DURASWITCH promoted its portfolio of patented technologies at ASIS. Duraswitch’s PushGate has been designed in to several security-related projects including keyless entry security door locks and security alarm panels. Other patented Duraswitch technologies include the thiNcoder(R), a thin rotary switch design integrated on flex, and MagnaMouse(TM), a flat-panel multidirectional or cursor control. The Duraswitch InPlay Technologies(TM) division will also be representing Active Recognition Technologies through its recent agreement to acquire the privately held developer and licensor of vehicle and license plate recognition software. Unlike most LPR software, ART’s V-Metrics(TM) is designed to operate in North America, where plate styles, fonts, size and spacing cannot be predetermined. V-Metrics requires no additional lighting, works at high speeds and in any weather condition.

The NIST says the AVC/H.264 file compression format, also referred to as the MPEG-4 AVC format, cuts the bit rate in half but retains the quality of MPEG-2 according to research by the federal agency.

Government Computer News reports research conducted by the NIST’s Charles Fenimore and other researchers found a 50-percent gain in compression efficiency for the new standard, created in May 2003 by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG).

The research is being published in NIST’s report, Subjective Quality Assessment of the Emerging AVC/H.264 Video Coding Standard. The report says there was a noticeable superiority of AVC/H.264 compared to state-of-the-art MPEG-2 video encoders in almost all test cases.

3VR’s 800i system can store, search, sort, and analyze up to a years’ worth of data; the appliance also recognizes security events in real time and responds with actions specified by the user, putting managers in control of their security environment.

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The 800i can store and perform analysis on data from up to eight cameras, and multiple 800i units can be linked to enable monitoring and analysis of data from hundreds of cameras across an entire security operation.

The 3VR 800i can be installed in a security cluster with or instead of security digital video recorders (DVRs) and alongside CCTV equipment. The 3VR platform is a breakthrough approach to advanced video analysis that seamlessly integrates high capacity DVR technology with existing CCTV infrastructures to transform raw, unstructured surveillance feeds into compact, intelligently structured information.

Now, with the 3VR 800i, security professionals can monitor an entire organization rather than just a few cameras, perform intelligent searches on large stores of data, and ensure standardized responses to critical security events.

The 800i system includes: Support for industry standard NTSC and PAL cameras, as well as select digital cameras, TCP/IP Network, which supports multiple integrated devices and user consoles, and has a redundant storage system for digital media and extracted intelligence.

ADT, which has been in business for 129 years, is the largest provider of electronic security services to nearly six million commercial, government and residential customers throughout the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />United States.

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“ADT is the only organization that has been an exhibitor throughout ASIS International’s 50-year history of Annual Seminars,” said Shirley Pierini, president of ASIS International. “We are proud to recognize ADT for its loyal and steadfast support of our organization.”

ADT was one of 11 vendors that exhibited at the first show held in Washington, D.C. in 1955, when the latest security solutions were limited to business applications and consisted mainly of sensors, locks and manual alarms.

At this year’s ASIS conference, ADT will showcase technologies that go beyond traditional security applications for homes and businesses including video auditing, remote guard tours and video alarm verification, which provide businesses with detailed reports and video documentation of their operations.

In addition, the company will highlight RFID technologies that address inventory management in the retail supply chain.

“Fifty years ago when ASIS began, it would have been hard to imagine the technological evolution that has transformed the security industry,” said Mike Snyder, president of ADT Security Services, Inc.

“The security solutions of today can not only help our customers better secure their businesses and employees but help them operate their businesses better.