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| A
visitor at the 'MILIPOL' International State Security Exhibition
tests the sight of a Beretta automatic weapon at Le Bouget,
northern Paris, November 21, 2001. For the twelfth time the
annual exhibition presents the latest in police, civil defense
and military security equipment. [Reuters] |
Demand for hi-tech spy gadgets and weapons has soared since September
11 and companies are scrambling to invent more as governments
beef up security in response to global jitters.
Sipping champagne among racks of guns, government and corporate
representatives at a trade fair in Paris this week checked out
the latest systems, including exploding robots and remote-controlled
spy planes.
``It looks very James Bond, but it is very professional and not
a toy,'' Francois Mottin from French firm Exavision said, as his
robot surveillance invention whizzed past.
``People knew a lot of these technologies existed before but
they were unwilling to invest in them. Since September 11 we have
had a lot more interest because security has become such a top
priority.'' Exavision says that at 18 lbs., the remote-controlled
robot is the smallest of its kind in the world. It carries two
sets of explosives and can relay pictures day or night from hostile
environments while soldiers or police keep a safe distance.
Anthrax detector
Some exhibitors at the Milipol fair in the northern Paris suburb
Le Bourget said they had started work on new inventions since
the attacks -- either at the request of governments or because
investors want to cash in on heightened terrorism fears.
Swedish biotechnology company Biosensor reckons it will not be
long before it can harness its drug detection technology, which
vacuums up grains of narcotics like heroin, to home in on anthrax
spores.
Trade fair organizers said the hijacked plane attacks on New York
and Washington had pushed visitor numbers up to 25,000 this year
from 20,000 in 1999, when the fair was last held in Paris.
Personalized gun holders
Near a stand of bullet-proof vests, visitors marveled at a personalized
gun holder, which recognizes its owner's fingerprints if an impostor
tries to fire it.
The holder is not yet on the market but Michaels company said
advance orders were already pouring in, and it expected a knock-on
effect from increased firearm sales in the United States since
September 11.
British company Aurora Computer Services Ltd said they were pioneering
a facial recognition airport security system that would mean officials
could instantly check passengers against lists of wanted terrorists.
(Agencies)
Updated: 2001-11-26 01:00