Airport security checkpoints are synonymous with the stressful and complex process of having to juggle with bags, liquids, and electrical appliances. Passengers are rediscovering the pleasures of flight… along with some of the more laborious aspects of catching a plane such as that delicate phase at the security checkpoint where liquids and electronic items have to be removed from our hand luggage and scanned separately. In this context, Thales has developed a new scanner named HELIXVIEW, which could revolutionize the airport experience for both passengers and airlines companies.
HELIXVIEW is the first EDS-CB C3 scanner that is stationary, meaning there is no rotating gantry around the scanner tunnel through which the bags are conveyed.
Indeed, instead of a regular imaging system consisting of a single X-Ray source and its detectors, HELIXVIEW is stationary, with multiple X-Ray sources strategically positioned around the scanner tunnel.
It is the first scanner EDS-CB C3 to use X-Ray sources based on carbon-nanotubes, which allows HELIXVIEW to have multiple ultra-lightweight stationary sources. This is a key disruptive technology developed by Thales.
With this new technology, HELIXVIEW is the lightest EDS-CB C3: < 1 ton vs. 2 to 2.5 tons for the other EDS-CB C3 scanners.
HELIXVIEW is also the most compact with a 30% footprint reduction compared to other EDS CB C3 scanner, meaning HELIXVIEW is particularly compatible with airports’ integration constraints.
Finally, HELIXVIEW is the only scanner that has room underneath the machine for empty tray returns. This means that when HELIXVIEW is integrated with a TRS (Tray Return System), there is no need for scanner elevation and conveyors slopes (which can generate various conveying issues).