Threat detection in X-ray security screening is critical for preventing concealed threats in airports and other high-security venue where Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) remain among the most persistent and dangerous threats.
The lack of a representative, and publicly available IED dataset has limited the development of machine-learning based automated threat detection systems. To address these issues, we propose an open access dataset, called IEDXray constructed for automated detection of IEDs. The dataset comprises 17,360 X-ray images captured under a strategic concealment protocol, covering scenarios ranging from isolated threats to heavily cluttered baggage environments. It includes diverse IED types—homemade explosives, batteries, and modified devices such as laptops, mobile phones, pagers, and walkie-talkies.
Read more…
Source: Springer Nature News
Sign up for the Counter-IED Report Newsletters
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox
Related:
- A Benchmark Dataset for Concealed Improvised Explosive Device Detection in X-ray Security Imaging
April 28, 2026
Threat detection in X-ray security screening is critical for preventing concealed threats in airports and other high-security venue where Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) remain among the most persistent and dangerous threats. The lack of a representative, and publicly available IED dataset has limited the development of machine-learning based automated threat detection systems. To address these issues, ...
- University of Illinois professor develops mine-detection technology with potential use in areas like the Strait of Hormuz
April 25, 2026
Viktor Gruev, professor in Engineering, is overseeing a project aimed at detecting underwater mines, with funding from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. The technology now has the potential to support mine clearing in the Strait of Hormuz. Gruev’s project initially began with the development of a polarization camera, used for cancer imaging, before shifting ...
- NATO launches the Allied Innovation Procurement Forum to accelerate technology adoption across the Alliance
April 21, 2026
The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) will host the inaugural Allied Innovation Procurement Forum (AIPF) on 25 June 2026 at the NCIA campus in The Hague, Netherlands, in a hybrid format. The Allied Innovation Procurement Forum will bring together innovation and procurement experts from Allied governments, NATO bodies and the wider public sector to exchange ...
- UK: Military reviews Army’s use of Chinese technology to make weapons
April 18, 2026
The Defence Secretary has ordered an investigation after The Telegraph revealed that the British Army was using Chinese 3D printers to build weapons. Last year, it was revealed that British troops were taking the technology with them into the field and using it to make “suicide drones” for attack missions, despite national security concerns. Army officers said ...
- RFI: Explosive Hazard Detection with Automated Target Recognition (ATR)
April 8, 2026
The U.S. Army Capability Program Executive Ammunition & Energetics (CPE A&E) is currently conducting market research and trade studies of automated target recognition (ATR) technologies to detect explosive hazards and complex obstacles. The purpose of ATR is to increase the Soldier’s ability to detect, classify, and identify threats in support of maneuver elements during autonomous breaching ...
- UK: AI-powered drones to detect explosive threats and protect military personnel
April 2, 2026
UK military personnel are set to be better protected on the battlefield as a result of trials which demonstrate cutting-edge AI in drones can rapidly recognise new threats, such as landmines and other explosive ordnance. The major trial by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) on behalf of the British Army allowed bomb-disposal experts to ...
- EOD Marines Conduct Technology Demonstration at Marine Corps Base Hawaii
March 31, 2026
MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII — Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Marines with 3rd Littoral Logistics Battalion (LLB), 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR), 3rd Marine Division, conducted an EOD technological demonstration at Marine Corps Base Hawai’i (MCBH), March 13, 2026. MCBH invited Naval Information Warfare Center engineers, scientists from the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense, and ...
- Belgium: Practical tests for new CBRN-E technologies in the EU project TeamUP
March 23, 2026
In the last week of February, the TeamUP consortium conducted usability tests and a small-scale trial at the “Campus VESTA” test site in Ranst, Belgium. Numerous new technologies have been developed as part of the project, including sensors for detecting hazardous substances, digital tools for coordinating operations, and solutions for triage, decontamination, and situational awa-reness. Following ...
- University Of Nebraska’s NSRI: $500 Million Contract Awarded To Accelerate Warfighter-Ready Solutions
March 18, 2026
Omaha, Nebraska — The National Strategic Research Institute (NSRI) at the University of Nebraska (NU) has received a $500 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract from U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) to deliver innovative research and development solutions that keep U.S. forces safe and maintain America’s technological edge through rapid-response research capabilities. With this contract, NSRI ...
- Civilians face increasing harm from deadly explosive weapons
February 26, 2026
Dr Stacey Pizzino from UQ’s School of Public Health collated information on 105,931 casualties in 17 countries and regions across Asia, Europe, Africa and South America. “This is the first pooled casualty analysis globally using previously untapped data sources,” Dr Pizzino said. “It showed nearly one in 4 people injured by landmines and explosive ordnance die ...
- South Korea: Presidential Security Service secures US patent for AI-based X-ray detection technology
February 22, 2026
The Presidential Security Service (PSS) obtained a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for its self-developed artificial intelligence (AI)-based X-ray hazardous materials detection technology, the PSS announced Sunday. The PSS expects the U.S. patent to accelerate research and development efforts aimed at deploying the technology in the field. The PSS said it ...
- Autonomous Breaching System will surpass legacy systems to enhance breaching operations
January 27, 2026
FORT BELVOIR, Va. —Amidst today’s modern battlefield, most people would only think of Soldiers swinging grappling hooks and probing the ground as historical accounts of mine-clearing techniques. Unfortunately, Soldiers still find themselves within an arm’s reach of deadly mine threats and calculated obstructions. While the U.S. Army continues to modernize and transform, Soldiers are trying to ...
- Detection and imaging of chemicals and hidden explosives using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and deep learning
January 22, 2026
Detecting concealed chemicals and explosives remains a critical challenge in global security. Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) offers a promising non-invasive and stand-off detection technique owing to its ability to penetrate optically opaque materials without causing ionization damage. While many chemicals exhibit distinct spectral features in the terahertz range, conventional terahertz-based detection methods often struggle in real-world ...
- South Carolina: Researcher targets faster, smarter detection of explosive and other hazardous materials
January 12, 2026
Clemson University chemist Kirkland Sheriff has received an Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to continue his research to develop sensors that can rapidly detect explosives and other hazardous materials. The research is especially relevant in an era where improvised explosive devices and chemical contamination present escalating threats to the public. Read more… Source: Clemson University News Sign up for ...
- Heat-Based Decontamination Project Becomes Program of Record
January 6, 2026
Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD – Researchers at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC) have successfully transitioned a heat-based decontamination project to a Program of Record, marking the next step in getting contaminated sensitive equipment back into warfighter hands faster. The Chemical Hot Air Decontamination (CHAD) project, funded by the Defense ...