Liberty Defense — HEXWAVE Walk-Through Portal

Figure 3

Figure 3 Liberty Defense’s HEXWAVE security scanner.

Liberty Defense’s HEXWAVE, as shown in Figure 3, is a walk-through people-screening system that explicitly combines mmWave radar, 3D video rate imaging and AI to deliver touchless detection of metallic and non-metallic threats. The company positions HEXWAVE as a high-throughput, flexible and mobile solution for airports and other venues. It uses technology developed at MIT Lincoln Labs, and the TSA started deploying their systems in 2024.9 The system operates in the UWB frequency range, so it is the only one covered that is not a true mmWave system.

Key specifications:

  • Frequency range: 6 to 10.6 GHz
  • Throughput: over 700 people per hour
  • Detection scope: detection of metallic/non-metallic threats, including 3D-printed/ghost guns, ceramic knives, IEDs, powders, liquids.

Pros:

  • True walk-through portal with high advertised throughput and low friction — no divestiture of personal items and minimal behavior change by passengers
  • Designed for modular deployment (mobile, fixed, indoor/outdoor) and over-the-air AI updates to address evolving threats.

InsTech Netherlands — NUCTECH FMW1000AA

Figure 4

Figure 4 InsTech Netherlands NUCTECH FMW1000AA mmWave security scanner.

InsTech Netherlands uses mmWave technology to detect concealed objects inside or under clothing, including but not limited to metal/non-metallic weapons, IEDs, liquids, narcotics, etc. Their NUCTECH FMW1000AA system (see Figure 4) uses a wide bandwidth, 3D holographic microwave imaging technique with neural network-based deep learning to achieve automatic threat recognition.10

  • Scan time: 2 seconds
  • Throughput: over 400 people per hour
  • Compact system with privacy protection.

Pros:

  • Small footprint
  • Wide channel to allow wheelchair access.

Vayyar Imaging — ECS1000 Wall Scanner

Vayyar’s mmWave technology now powers a scanning solution that enables a wide range of security applications. Their high-resolution 4D imaging-radar-on-chip solutions detect small, concealed objects made of various materials, including metal, ceramic and glass, as well as 3D printed weapons.11 Security personnel can now perform rapid, nonintrusive searches, enabled by advanced ML engines trained to identify suspicious objects of all shapes and dimensions.

Figure 5

Figure 5 Vayyar Imaging ECS1000 wall scanners with scan image.

Figure 6

Figure 6 Evolv’s security scanner in use at an event..

The ECS1000 wall scanner houses multiple RF boards with thousands of transceivers, as shown in Figure 5. The compact, portable scanner is built around a single RF board, housing hundreds of transceivers. The receivers record high-resolution 3D reflections, which are processed by Vayyar’s software to create granular imaging that includes both intensity and phase data. ML software determines if any controlled objects are present, in which case the security operator is notified about their location and can take further action. It appears the company is just supplying boards or hand scanners at this point that can be made into a full system.

Evolv Technology — Express / Edge / eXpedite

Evolv is widely included in the modern screening marketplace, but Evolv’s flagship Express and Edge products, as demonstrated in Figure 6, are not mmWave radar imagers in the sense of the portal scanners mentioned previously. Evolv systems use advanced sensor arrays and sensor fusion with AI using extremely low frequency (1 to 300 Hz) radio sensing, proprietary sensor arrays and AI models to detect concealed threats while supporting very high-throughput.12 Evolv’s systems occupy a different part of the technology/design space but are used in the same applications as mmWave and UWB scanners. Evolv is a spin-off from Intellectual Ventures that developed metamaterials technology that is used by companies including Kymeta, Echodyne, Pivotal Commwave and Evolv.

SUMMARY

mmWave security scanning systems are now a leading technology for high-throughput security scanning systems in airports, transit hubs, stadiums and other checkpoints, as they can detect hidden metallic and non-metallic objects, have fast scanning speeds and offer safety and privacy for people being scanned. They are safer than X-ray systems and can detect non-metallic objects that metal detectors cannot. With newer walk-through systems, they promise convenience for both the staff and the people being scanned. New AI and ML techniques have improved detection accuracy and privacy in these systems, making them the best alternative to meet today’s security needs in airports and venues. While these systems still face some challenges, such as false alarms, human-body complexity, calibration drift, deployment cost and adversarial threat evolution, the coming decade will likely bring innovations in snapshot imaging, compressive sensing, algorithmic robustness, meta-surface integration, portability and fusion of multiple sensor modalities that will overcome them.

References:

  1. “Full-body Scanner Market (2024 - 2030),” Grand View Research, Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/full-body-scanner-market-report.
  2. “Millimeter Wave Body Scanner Market,” Persistence Market Research, November 2023, Web: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/millimeter-wave-body-scanner-market.asp?.
  3. “Millimeter Wave Body Scanners Decade Long Trends, Analysis and Forecast 2025-2034,” Data Insights Market, June 2025, Web: https://www.datainsightsmarket.com/reports/millimeter-wave-body-scanners-668033.
  4. S. Ahmed and A. Schiessl, “mmWave Technology Enables Faster, Safer, Privacy-Conscious Travel,” Microwave Journal, September 2019.
  5. P. Mehta and R. Smith-Bindman, “Airport Full-body Screening: What is the Risk?” Arch Intern Med. 2011 June 27;171(12):1112-5. doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2011.105. Epub 2011 Mar 28. PMID: 21444831; PMCID: PMC3936792.
  6. QPS201 Security Scanner, Rohde & Schwarz, Web: https://www.rohde-schwarz.com/us/products/aerospace-defense-security/security-scanner/qps201-security-scanner_63493-332676.html.
  7. “Rohde & Schwarz Receives TSA Award to Supply AIT to U.S. Airport Security Screening Checkpoints,” Microwave Journal, December 12, 2023, Web: https://www.microwavejournal.com/articles/41231-rohde-and-schwarz-receives-tsa-award-to-supply-ait-to-us-airport-security-screening-checkpoints.
  8. Pro:Vision, Leidos, Web: https://www.leidos.com/markets/aviation/security-detection/aviation-checkpoint/people-screening.
  9. A. Tantillo, “Walkthrough Screening System Enhances Security at Airports Nationwide,” Lincoln Laboratory, July 1, 2025, Web: https://www.ll.mit.edu/news/walkthrough-screening-system-enhances-security-airports-nationwide.
  10. NUCTECH FMW1000AA, InsTech Netherlands, Web: https://instechnl.com/products/nuctech-mw1000aa-millimeter-wave-human-body-inspection-system.
  11. Public Safety, Vaayar, Web: https://vayyar.com/public-safety/.
  12. Evolv Express, Evolv, Web: https://evolv.com/concealed-weapons-detection/express/.