Researchers Say Technology Developed At OSU Can Detect Bombs In Crowds

Technology developed in Oklahoma is now available for security at what events that are considered "soft targets," like marathons, where people are outdoors and scattered.

Some Oklahoma researchers believe an RV packed with computers could have stopped the bombing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

"It can smell, it sees, hears and that type of thing. It was built especially for the soft target situation that we saw in Boston," Jim Trecek of OverSite Technology.

The system was developed at OSU. Trecek said it can detect a variety of terrorist activity in crowds. OverSite has been demonstrated at the OSU and TU stadiums, where it can immediately identify the sources of gunfire.

10/22/2012 Related Story: Crew Demonstrates Technology Aimed To Pinpoint Terrorists At Large Events

Trecek said, for about $100,000, the system could have been deployed at the Boston Marathon finish line, and it would have identified the bombs and the bomber as they arrived.

He said it can do much more, like identify hazardous materials immediately and alert law enforcement of the problem.

"There is technology that would have smelled, that can smell the black powder of those bombs before it was ignited," Trecek said.

4/6/2011 Related Story: OSU Debuts New Tool Aimed At Preventing Terrorist Attacks At Major Events

The system is still being tested and developed and marketed, but so far no one has bought the whole package. As always, the question for public officials is whether the protection is worth the cost.

"How do you protect those people? How much does it cost and how much is it worth?" Trecek said.

But the developers of OverSite believe their system could protect any large gathering of people. They say it can work in stadiums and arenas, or it can be mobile, used for something like a marathon.