JMAR takes Army achievement award for laser-based long-range IED detector

Jan. 22, 2009

JMAR Technologies (San Diego, CA) says it has won an Achievement Award under the U.S. Army's SBIR program for developing a small, lightweight double-pulse laser system that uses laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to detect threats such as improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at distances of more than 30 meters. The system's laser technology has numerous applications for military, homeland security, and civilian markets.

Barbara Gefvert

JMAR Technologies (San Diego, CA), producer of sensing systems for the detection of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) materials, says it has won an Achievement Award under the U.S. Army's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. JMAR's Research Division earned the award for developing a small, lightweight double-pulse laser system that uses laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to detect threats such as improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at distances of more than 30 meters. The system's laser technology has numerous applications for military and homeland security--and civilian markets for drug interdiction, environment hazard analysis, materials identification, geology, and geochemistry.

The Army SBIR program said winning projects were chosen on four criteria: originality and innovation of research; relevance of the research to the Army mission; immediate commercialization potential of the research; and overall quality performance of the project. There were 755 projects eligible for the competition, and 41 were forwarded to the Achievement Awards Selection Committee. An Awards Ceremony was held at the Pentagon on December 19, 2008.

"In the military, this laser helps meet the urgent need for a small, rugged multi-pulse laser that can be integrated into man-portable or robotic-deployed sensors for real-time detection of hazardous materials," said JMAR Technologies' CEO C. Neil Beer, Ph.D. He noted that the commercialization-potential criterion confirms the company's strategy for targeting a wide range of non-military markets.

Earlier this month, JMAR announced a media awareness initiative for its laser-based BioSentry, which it says is the only commercialized, EPA tested, online system for real-time detection of pathogens in water. As part of the initiative, JMAR representatives attended a conference at the CATO Institute in Washington, D.C. (January 12-13) that specifically addressed "Shaping the Obama Administration's Counterterrorism Strategy,", 2009. Then, on January 15, 2009, CNBC aired a prime-time BioSentry video news release. The video was expected to reach 4 million viewers, and was also distributed to 190 cable stations nationwide through the Independent News Network.

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JMAR Technologies Inc.

About the Author

Barbara Gefvert | Editor-in-Chief, BioOptics World (2008-2020)

Barbara G. Gefvert has been a science and technology editor and writer since 1987, and served as editor in chief on multiple publications, including Sensors magazine for nearly a decade.