Detecting the Presence of Intrusive Drilling in Secure Transport Containers Using Non-Contact Millimeter-Wave Radar

Area of Science:

• Sensor Technology
• Vibration Analysis
• Security Systems

Background:

• Secure containers are vulnerable to covert drilling during transport.
• Transport vibrations mask the subtle signatures of drilling attempts.
• Existing detection methods struggle with high-speed transport environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the feasibility of using millimeter-wave radar for detecting drilling intrusions.
• To develop a non-contact sensing method for identifying micron-scale drilling vibrations.
• To enhance the security of transported goods against covert breaches.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a 77-81 GHz frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) millimeter-wave radar sensor.
• Developed a signal-processing pipeline including range-angle tracking and time-frequency analysis.
• Created a statistical model to account for transport and drilling vibrations.

Main Results:

• Successfully detected micron-scale drilling vibrations on a container during simulated highway-speed transport.
• The novel signal-processing pipeline proved robust in distinguishing drilling from transport vibrations.
• Achieved a powerful detection statistic for alarming potential intrusions.

Conclusions:

• Millimeter-wave radar is a viable technology for detecting drilling during transport.
• The developed system offers a non-contact, effective solution for enhanced transport security.
• Integration of this radar sensor into security systems is strongly supported by the findings.