Viaspace to demo detection technology

PASADENA, Calif., May 7 (UPI) -- U.S. company Viaspace Inc. announced plans to demonstrate its hazardous chemicals, explosives and toxic gases threat-detection technology.

Viaspace was awarded a Phase II contract by the U.S. Army to develop a new threat-detection technology as part of the Small Business Technology Transfer program. Viaspace said its Ionfinity subsidiary, working with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, General Dynamics, Sionex and Imaginative Technologies, is set to conducted field demonstrations of the new sensor.

The Phase II award was part of an effort to develop a sensor prototype integrating General Dynamics' Juno detector with Viaspace's chemical-agent sensor technologies and mount the system onto unmanned ground vehicles, among other applications.

"We believe this and other security-related systems being developed at Ionfinity and through Viaspace's collaborations will be able to meet the ongoing needs for improved capabilities to detect a range of hazardous chemicals and gases, explosives and other dangerous substances and materials," James Weiss, Ionfinity chairman and chief operating officer, said in a statement.

"Due to the nature and number of these threats, detection systems also have to be easy to use, provide timely and accurate readings and be compact and durable."