Sonid Defense Korea Knocks on Overseas Counterterrorism Security Market with Portable Explosive Detector

Sonid (CEO Choi Si-myeong)'s subsidiary Defense Korea announced on the 6th that it showcased the personal portable nano-optical sensor explosive detector Apollon (model name KED-7) at the international defense industry exhibition 'IDEX 2023' held last month in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), increasing its potential to enter the overseas counter-terrorism security market.

Defense Korea, together with Sonid Robotics, will conduct demonstrations for export contracts targeting buyers from Europe and the Middle East, including India starting from the 8th, as well as Poland, Iraq, Egypt, and France.

Apollon is a non-contact explosive detector developed and designed by Defense Korea by applying Sonid Robotics' nano-optical sensor technology. It initializes within 10 seconds and can detect various types of explosives.

At the exhibition, comparative demonstrations were conducted between Apollon, the existing IMS (Ion Mobility Spectrometry) explosive detectors used at airports and ports, and explosive detection dogs.

Apollon visualizes the explosive levels as it approaches the explosive, enabling rapid and accurate detection of the presence or absence of explosives. In particular, its non-contact advantage and the ability to initialize the device within 10 seconds allow detection of various types of explosives.

Currently, IMS explosive detectors and explosive detection dogs used at airports and ports have the limitation of being contact-based. The IMS explosive detector’s detection method involves rubbing the detection test paper on the body or objects to make contact. Explosive detection dogs also sniff by placing their noses on objects or bodies, which can cause discomfort to the people being inspected. Additionally, explosive detection dogs require significant time and cost for training, and they are limited to detecting only the explosives they have been trained for.

A Defense Korea official stated, “Apollon can detect explosives non-contact from over approximately 3 meters away depending on the amount of explosives,” adding, “For vehicles loaded with explosives weighing about 450g or more, detection is possible simply by contacting the detector with the vehicle, and even small amounts (about 2g) of explosives can be detected from a distance of 30cm. Countries with needs for clearing large quantities of buried landmines are showing particular interest.”