Detect-Ion contracted to develop spectral chemical threat detection device [Video]

Detect-Ion, a startup focused on the detection and identification of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive substances, announced it had secured a research contract with the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), a government agency within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, to develop a sensor to identify aerosol-based chemical threats.

The company will use the funding to develop a compact or “low-SWaP” (size, weight and power) sensor platform called Spectral to detect the presence of hazardous aerosols in complex urban environments.

Detect-Ion will leverage AI to help detect and identify aerosolized chemical threats and work with three (unnamed) subcontractors to develop the sensor.

The final product will be fully deployable and able to detect and collect samples of aerosolized chemicals, even at low levels.

IARPA invests in high-risk, high-reward research programs to advance capabilities in threat detection. 

“Aerosols may be invisible, but the dangers they pose are …