South African full-body scanning technology

Developed for diamond mines, Scannex could find deployment at international airports.

The scare with a would-be terrorist who apparently smuggled a bomb into a plane destined for USA on Christmas Day 2009 brought into focus the necessity for improved security. The United States and other Western countries are implemented body searches and have started using full-body scanners at international airports.

Full-body scanners are a new technology and there are not many around. Those that are available are provoking an outcry from passengers and human rights groups who say they are gross violations of privacy. They argue that the detailed images can appear to undress the subject – causing, at the very least, acute embarrassment.

A South African company may have the perfect solution: a body scanning machine used in diamond industry. Named Scannex, the machine has been used for years to prevent diamond theft and smuggling. In fact, workers are scanned with Scannex on regular basis in many mining and polishing facilities in South Africa and Namibia.

Scannex was developed by DebTech, the research and development arm of the diamond giant De Beers. The company says that the images produced by the Scannex machine are of such high resolution that tiny diamonds can be detected on or inside the human body. The system can capture metal objects, explosives, drugs and synthetic materials, regardless of whether they are hidden underneath clothing or inside the body, in an orifice. The images are available immediately on the screen.

Even though it is so powerful, Scannex produces such a low dose of X-rays that a person can have more than 200 scans a year and still be below the legal limit considered safe health-wise. The scan is non-intrusive. It does not violate a person’s privacy and provides only an outline of body. It is also important to note that Scannex is fast: one scan takes only about 10 seconds. DebTech representative says that one unit can perform up to 90 scans in one hour, which means that it would practically add no additional time to the check-in procedure.

The Christmas scare may lead some countries to take a closer look at Scannex. The scanner cubicle is fairly compact; it is 208 cm high, 203 cm wide and 108 cm deep. One unit costs about R3,7-million (US$506,000). The system is not labour or maintenance intensive. The unit requires at least one person to operate the system, while four or more viewers could be connected to a scanner simultaneously.

The production of some parts of Scannex is outsourced to various companies, but the units are assembled in SA. If successfully marketed, this technology could generate a lucrative industry for the country.

DebTech was established in 1948 as part of the De Beers Diamond Research Laboratories, and is based in Crown Mines, south of Johannesburg. It currently employs 140 people, mostly highly qualified engineers and scientists. More than 400 products researched, developed, manufactured and maintained by DebTech are currently operating in the many De Beers mines. In 2008, De Beers opened its treasure chest of proven diamond technology to the world for the first time in its 120-year history, at the Electra Mining Africa exhibition in Johannesburg.

Also see
De Beers Media Centre