Detecting illegal drugs and pollutants.

A sensor technology that holds great promise for use in the war against drugs, as well as in the detection of chemical weapons and industrial pollutants, has been developed by AIL System, Inc., Deer Park N. Y. Known as the Remote Monitoring Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS), the device employs advanced spectral processing techniques to detect and identify otherwise imperciptible trace of gases and vapors released into the atmosphere during drug and chemical production, chemical warfare, and industrial manufacturing. Electronics circuits are trained to "look" for molecules know be present in these effluents. (Each type of molecule had a unique "special fingerprint," and thus c be distinguished from others.

It differs from other methods of effluent detection and analysis in that physical contract of the with molecules themselves is not required. Rather, the Remote Monitoring FTS compares the intensity of infared light detected at many different wavelengths to determine whether or not a part type of molecule - and, therefore, chemical solvent or agent - is present. The device can be mounted on a moving platform, such as an unmanned airborne vehicle, plane, helicopter, ground vehicle, space platform. or sea vessel. Current monitoring system must remain stationary to work effectively.

Unlike other spectrometers, the spectral resolution of the Remote Monitoring FTS can be adjusted giving it up to 10 times the detection sensitivity of fixed-resolution...