Homeland security communications research at Stevens gets a boost from Canobeam

One of the cornerstones of heightened homeland security and the fight against terrorism is secure communications technology, and a Canobeam optical beam transceiver from Canon USA, Inc. a subsidiary of Canon, Inc., is proving to be a big help in the effort. Researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology are doing groundbreaking work as they assess security risks and solutions of different networking systems, and valuable data on free space optics (FSO) networks is being discovered daily thanks to the presence of a Canobeam optical beam transmission system.

The Canobeam, which has long supplied secure, low-cost, high speed wireless networks in corporate, enterprise and broadcast applications worldwide, is a key to helping the Stevens researchers understand the full potential of FSO in support of national, state and local emergency response to acts of terrorism. The Canon unit is set up at Stevens' Wireless Network Security Center (WiNSeC), which is assessing the usefulness of many communications systems, including wired, wireless and satellite as well as FSO in the battlefield and on the home front.

"What we're doing at WiNSeC is balancing out all the aspects of communications technology to provide research on connectivity," says Paul Kolodzy, Director of WiNSeC. "We examine how Canobeam and the other systems augment military and homeland communications systems, and how these networks deal with transitioning from one to another."

For Kolodzy and WiNSeC Network Engineer Jason Evans, FSO devices like Canobeam offer homeland security and military command an intriguing method of networking. "FSO is very interesting in this application," Evans says. "In looking at new technologies for the battlefield, one way to get security is to prevent your adversaries from listening in on you. The tighter the light beam, the harder it is for them to know you're there - the ultimate in the tightness of beams is FSO. There are pros and cons of going up to higher and higher frequencies, and that's what we use the Canobeam to examine."

The field-proven Canobeam DT-50's secure light beam is capable of transmitting data at speeds up to 622 Mbps at a distance of up to 2 km, providing a highly cost-efficient connection that can be set up in a matter of minutes. The user-friendly Canobeam DT-50 has established itself as a versatile and solid performer, optimizing transmission even from the tops of buildings that are prone to sway and vibration. Using Canon's Auto-Tracking System and 3R repeater technology for highly reliable links and constant footprint, the DT-50 can accommodate Fast Ethernet, 156 megabits per second (OC-3) and 622 megabits per second (OC-12).

To research FSO in real-world conditions, WiNSeC set up a Canobeam transceiver on a 13-story tall campus tower about .5 KM from the opposite Canobeam on top of the Physics Building. Pan/tilt/zoom cameras on the tower takes pictures of "perpetrators" - actually pedestrians walking by - and the Canobeam link facilitates the transmission of the images back to the WiNSeC command center. In the process, WiNSeC engineers note the effect of tower sway, fog, smog and other environmental conditions on the resilience of FSO.

By providing a Canobeam system for research, Canon has become a welcome partner for WiNSeC in the fight against terrorism. "Canon has been very helpful in our efforts," Kolodzy says. "They have a thorough knowledge of laser communications, and they were interested in understanding along with us the potential uses for FSO. We're always looking at mixed mode communications to see what kind of role they're going to play in the future for homeland security and the military, as well as commercial uses, and Canon is a very good match for us."

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.

Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.  

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