California firm's software to be used at terror-attack drill
Copyright 2006 The Chronicle Publishing Co.
All Rights Reserved
By THOMAS FROSTBERG
The San Francisco Chronicle (California)
A Redwood City startup has developed new technology that will help police, fire departments and other first responders keep communication networks running after terrorist attacks or major disasters, like earthquakes or hurricanes.
PacketHop, a spin-off of the Menlo Park research institute SRI, recently released the software and several trials are now running at police departments to test it.
Explained briefly, the software helps wireless devices create so-called mesh networks, where individual devices seek each other out and link together without the necessity of a central framework. As a result, first responders connect directly to each other without any need for infrastructure. And this means that they can communicate even if mobile networks are dead, the Internet is down or they find themselves in the middle of a desert.
"Our software enables laptops, tablet PCs and smart phones to create instant, portable networks," said PacketHop President Michael Howse. "First responders can take their network with them wherever they are and whenever they need it. Any traditional wireless network today requires a centralized server and a network infrastructure, so communication is lost all the time during a major incident."
The software, dubbed PacketHop Aware Communication Suite, will play a central role in a major Department of Homeland Security antiterrorist drill at Long Beach Airport this weekend.
On Saturday morning a fake terrorist will take control of an aircraft refueling truck at the airport, and a SWAT team will be sent in to take down the bad guy. Later, the truck runs into an aircraft with more than 150 passengers.
More than 25 federal, state and local agencies will take part in the event, including the FBI, the Army and the Federal Aviation Administration as well as Long Beach police and fire departments.
Instead of tuning in to each others' radio frequencies, participants from different agencies should be able to share information instantly over a secure network as soon as they arrive on the scene.
When two or more wireless devices are in the same area, they automatically connect and form a network. Because the devices act both as senders and receivers, the network gets stronger when new devices enter the scene. Instead of stealing space in the network, they add bandwidth.
"Our product is good for smaller events, but is also highly scalable for events like the one with the Department of Homeland Security. It uses standard equipment in police cruisers," PacketHop's Howse said.
With PacketHop's software, video collected by a bomb robot or a police car can be sent to every device in the network in real time. Instant messaging can also be used to share detailed information or pictures of suspects, reducing the use of open radio communication.
"Currently we use the police radio. PacketHop offers the ability to put more video out there, giving the commander a better eye. It's also a way to minimize radio traffic and keep the radio clear for emergencies. When someone is talking, no one else can get on the air," said Sgt. David Cannan, spokesman at the Long Beach Police Department.
Because every device in the network also works as a sender, even units that normally are out of reach can communicate, when the radio signal "jumps" on devices between them. This also means that if only one device in the network has Internet access, all the other units can reach the Internet and the boss at the police station can follow what happens in real time, instead of having to watch it on television.
The research behind the software started as a Defense Department-funded program at SRI. PacketHop was spun out of SRI in 2003 and now owns the rights to the technology. The company has since then raised $25 million in venture funding. SRI still owns part of PacketHop.
