Researchers seek the 'perfect shipping container'.

• Author: Pappalardo, Joe
• Position: INSPECTING CARGO

The Department of Homeland Security is investing in a host of programs, both long and short-term, to create the perfect shipping box.

The ideal solution, according to DHS officials supervising the research, would feature some cutting-edge attributes, including the ability to communicate any incident back to a command center, detect breaches in any door or wall, lessen weights and embed sensors in the walls of the crate. Also on the wish list are security systems that can monitor the boxes within those crates, allowing officials to keep an eye on them as they pass from port to train to truck.

"We have to make sure the domestic leg is protected," said Elaine Dezenski, acting assistant secretary for policy and planning in DHS' Border and Transportation Security Directorate.

The ambitious goal faces some obstacles. One of them is finding an appropriate battery to power security devices. In order to match the batteries with the pace at which cargo containers are maintained, a battery with a 10-year life span is needed, Dezenski said.

Another obstacle, she said, is a disagreement on the way the devices should communicate with a wider monitoring network. Also, there is no agreement on how to handle data shared by rail, shipping and trucking industries, despite the fact the supply chain links them all.

"We're going to have a tremendous amount of work to do on standardization," Dezenski said.

Also lacking is a testing methodology to ensure the reliability of detectors. "We can only tolerate less than a 1 percent false positive rate," she said, emphasizing the need for strict standards and testing regimes.

The DHS container projects are in various stages of development. The long-term solution is intended to be an Advanced Container Security Device, which is meant to become the next-generation shipping container.

The program is expected to down-select from five contractors to three next year, with the goal of testing prototypes by fiscal year 2007. Final testing and production are anticipated by 2008 or 2009, according to Bob Knetl, container program manager for HSARPA (Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency).

Additional container programs include the Marine Asset Tag Tracking System, Knetl said. This system aims to defeat a prominent problem in maritime shipping security--the need for clear signal paths from satellites for positioning and communications.

In maritime shipping, containers are placed on ship decks and in holds with less...