Perspective on the future: the competition between teraherz and millimeter wave security gates

Mondo Technology Updated on 2024-02-22

As the global security landscape becomes increasingly complex, public security technology is rapidly evolving to meet the high standards of security. Among the many security screening technologies, terahertz security gates and millimeter-wave security gates have attracted extensive attention due to their unique performance and different application advantages. This article will detail the technical features, advantages and disadvantages of these two types of security gates, as well as their application in the field of security screening. In 2024, there are six reasons why the networked turnstile integrated security gate will become the choice of users.

First, let's understand what terahertz security gates and millimeter wave security gates are. Terahertz (THZ) technology is an electromagnetic wave technology that sits between microwaves and infrared light, usually with a wavelength of 0between 1 and 1 mm. Due to its short wavelength, terahertz waves can penetrate clothing and other non-metallic substances, allowing terahertz security gates to detect prohibited items such as ** and objects hidden under clothing. Terahertz technology is favored because of its good penetration and high-resolution imaging capabilities, and its radiation damage to the human body is much lower than that of traditional X-ray equipment.

On the other hand, millimeter-wave security gates use millimeter-wave technology, which has a wavelength shorter than terahertz waves, generally between 1 and 10 millimeters. Millimeter-wave security technology scans the human body through harmless electromagnetic waves to form a three-dimensional image, and then distinguishes abnormal items on the individual's body after processing by algorithms, which is one of the common personal security solutions in modern security inspection. Millimeter-wave security gates are widely used in airports, stations and other places because they are efficient, fast and do not infringe on privacy.

Next, we will focus on comparing the advantages and limitations of terahertz and millimeter-wave gates.

Advantages of terahertz security gates:

1.High-resolution imaging capability: Terahertz waves can provide high-resolution three-dimensional images that can clearly reveal the shape and structure of the object being inspected, and identify objects as small as a few millimeters in size.

2.High safety: Compared with X-ray technology, terahertz waves are more biologically safe and cause minimal radiation damage to the human body.

3.Strong penetration: terahertz waves can penetrate most non-metallic materials, such as clothing, wood, etc., but have strong reflection on metal and water. As a result, it is particularly suitable for detecting prohibited items concealed in multiple layers of clothing.

4.Material identification capability: Due to the different terahertz wave absorption spectra and reflection characteristics of different materials, the terahertz security gate can effectively identify the composition of the tested article.

Disadvantages of terahertz security gates:

1.Relatively high cost: The current R&D and equipment costs of terahertz technology are relatively high, which results in its lower penetration in commercial applications than mmWave technology.

2.Technology maturity needs to be improved: Compared with millimeter wave technology, the maturity of terahertz technology is still low, and its adaptability and stability to the environment need to be further studied and optimized.

3.Slow detection: Terahertz gates have a more complex imaging process than mmWave gates, resulting in relatively slow detection speeds that are not suitable for high-traffic locations.

Advantages of mmWave security gates:

1.Rapid detection: mmWave security gates have very fast scanning speeds, typically taking only a few seconds to complete a physical security check. This is critical for high-traffic situations that require a quick pass through security, such as airports and train stations.

2.Lower equipment costs: The R&D and production costs of mmWave security screening devices are relatively low, which makes them easier to popularize and deploy in a variety of public places.

3.Low invasiveness: Millimeter-wave security technology can produce images that do not have high-resolution details, only revealing the contours of the human body and the approximate location of the items carried, thus better protecting the privacy of the person being detected.

4.Mature and stable technology: Millimeter wave security technology has been widely used in many places around the world, and its stability and reliability have been tested and verified for a long time.

Disadvantages of millimeter wave security gates:

1.Resolution limitations: Although millimeter-wave security screening equipment can complete the body scan relatively quickly, its imaging resolution is not as good as that of terahertz waves, which may affect the identification of prohibited items.

2.Difficulty in material identification: Compared with terahertz technology, millimeter-wave security gates have certain difficulties in identifying material components, and it is sometimes difficult to accurately distinguish between different non-metallic materials.

3.Shorter wavelengths and limited penetration: Although millimeter waves can penetrate clothing, their penetration is weaker than terahertz waves, and they may not be able to detect contraband under heavy clothing.

To sum up, terahertz security gates and millimeter-wave security gates have their own advantages and can play an important role in different application scenarios. In the future, with the continuous development of technology and the continuous reduction of costs, we have reason to believe that these two advanced security technologies will be more widely used in public safety and security work, providing stronger technical support for people's travel safety.

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