Micro-X, a South Australian x-ray technology developer, announced a $21 million contract renewal with the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop and test fully-integrated passenger self-screening checkpoint modules for airport travel.
The ASX-listed company stated that the project will be extended for 40 months after an 18-month Phase 1 period in which a prototype checkpoint will be developed.
The first phase is worth $7.25 million, and the extension will bring the project’s entire cost to $28.25 million.
The project is divided into eight phases, some of which operate concurrently, with DHS milestone payments ranging from $3 million to $6 million.
Under the terms of the deal, the passenger self-screening stations will be manufactured by Micro-X and evaluated in Transportation Security Administration (TSA) facilities before being deployed to one or more US airports.
DHS and TSA will then give input on the airport and passenger experience after each test to assist Micro-X hone and enhance the final design.
With the contract extension, Micro-X said it will be able to create and test fully integrated self-screening stations in actual US airport environments with travelling passengers.
It will also support Micro-X through the critical stages of producing and showcasing a reimagined airport checkpoint.
Brian Gonzales, Micro-X Inc CEO of Americas and chief scientist said the contract renewal was a significant step forward in the company’s airport security strategy.
“This contract extension fully funds us to build and test the design of a self-screening checkpoint in real airports, demonstrating the improvements and refining the design with real passenger and operator input,” he stated.
He further explained, “US airport security is a unique market, where the government is both the regulator and the customer. The partnership we have formed with DHS and TSA enables us to combine input from both the end-customer and the safety regulator to deliver a design that completely re-imagines security screening but is also grounded in the reality of airport operations and regulations.”
Micro-X Limited is an ASX-listed hi-tech company developing and commercialising a range of innovative products for global health and security markets, based on proprietary cold cathode, carbon nanotube (CNT) emitter technology.
