University of Wisconsin to Test AI-Powered Security System

Liberty Defense Holdings Ltd. recently announced that it has signed an agreement with the University of Wisconsin Police Department (UWPD) to test a new security detection walkthrough portal on campus. Liberty, a provider of technology for concealed weapons and threat detection solutions, is in the process of beta testing its new HEXWAVE security system, which uses a combination of low-power radar imaging and artificial intelligence to detect concealed weapons.

According to a news release, HEXWAVE can test for both metallic and nonmetallic weapons (like 3D-printed guns). It also facilitates an easy throughput, as all students and faculty have to do is walk through its panels to keep traffic flow and social distance in mind. The technology is touchless, and it can be used both indoors and outdoors.

UW-Madison is the oldest and largest public university in Wisconsin. The university police department has said it is always looking for ways to enhance campus safety and security without compromising on a positive student experience.

“The security of our campus is, of course, a top priority,” said Kristen Roman, Chief of Police at UW-Madison. “We are excited to have the opportunity to be the first campus to test this new technology. We understand how important it is for organizations to keep innovating when it comes to security, and we look forward to kicking off the testing in 2022.”

The product’s beta testing is set to begin in the second quarter of 2022 and continue into the third quarter. Liberty Defense has also signed a collaboration agreement with the Maryland Stadium Authority’s Camden Yards complex to test the HEXWAVE solution there, as well.

“It is a privilege to work with the University of Wisconsin and its police department, such a well-established and respected educational institution that is looking for innovative ways to keep the campus community safe,” said Bill Frain, CEO of Liberty Defense.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning and Campus Security and Life Safety. He can be reached at [email protected]

Featured

  • Cleveland High School Breaks Ground on Modernization

    Portland Public Schools in Portland, Ore., recently announced that construction has begun on a modernization project for Cleveland High School, according to a news release. The existing building will be replaced with a new, 300,000-square-foot facility at the same site.

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • Minnesota District Opens New PreK–12 School

    Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop Schools in Gibbon, Minn., recently announced that construction is complete on a new, $68.9-million school for students in grades PreK–12, according to a news release.

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.