3D millimeter wave scanner

China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, the country's largest missile maker, developed what engineers say is the most advanced security screening instrument in the nation - the so-called 3D millimeter wave scanner.

The scanner, designed and built by the Beijing Huahang Radio Measurement Institute under CASIC's Third Academy, is the "smartest and most capable" of all security scanners in China, according to the institute, which specializes in radar and photoelectric equipment.

Several countries including the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan have already adopted similar wave scanners for airport security checks.

The device is a whole-body imaging device that uses a form of electromagnetic radiation to detect objects concealed beneath a person's clothing.

Zhao Yinghai, chief designer of the product, said that compared with the metal detectors widely employed at government buildings, public venues and security checkpoints at airports and railway stations, the new scanner offers faster response times and higher accuracy with much less manpower needed.

The scanner is capable of detecting as many as 89 dangerous or risky items within 1 second, including those "invisible" to existing body-screening devices such as corrosive or flammable liquids.