Urban Security

Urban environments concentrate people, infrastructure, commerce, and mobility into dense, complex spaces—making them resilient, but also uniquely vulnerable. “Urban Security” today is defined by fast-moving threats that can emerge without warning and unfold across crowded transit hubs, public venues, supply corridors, and critical infrastructure. Security teams are expected to detect hazards early, make confident decisions on scene, and restore safety quickly—often with limited time, incomplete information, and high public pressure. In this reality, the gap between “suspected” and “confirmed” can be the difference between a controlled incident and a major crisis

The challenges in Urban Security

Urban security faces several persistent challenges:

Speed vs. certainty: First responders and security units must act within minutes, but laboratory confirmation may take hours or days. A delayed identification can lead to unnecessary evacuations, costly shutdowns, or missed opportunities to neutralize a real threat.
Crowded and complex environments: Airports, metros, stadiums, shopping centers, and downtown districts involve constant movement. Samples are small, evidence can be easily disturbed, and scenes often cannot be isolated for long.
Multiple hazards at once: A suspicious package may involve unknown powders, potential explosive residues, and—at the high end of concern—radiological components. Responders need tools that can keep pace with this layered risk.
Harsh field conditions: Rain, dust, temperature swings, mechanical shocks, and long shifts are routine. Tools that work only in ideal lab conditions are not enough for real urban deployments

The threat landscape: explosives, unknown substances, and radiological escalation

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and explosive precursors in attacks or uncovered during investigative efforts, encompassing a broad range of chemical substances, and related equipment. This includes items identified prior to an incident, actively employed during an attack, or recovered afterward through forensic analysis or law-enforcement operations, whether linked to criminal activity, terrorism, or violence

How RS Dynamics instruments strengthen Urban Security

RS Dynamics provides a field-ready detection and identification system designed for real-world response: the handheld Raman spectrometer microRAMAN, the handheld explosive trace detector miniEXPLONIX, and the explosive trace identifier EXPLONIX—optionally equipped with a scintillation spectrometer to reveal nuclear radiation and support dirty bomb detection and identification capability.

Smart solutions for Urban Security application by RS DYNAMICS

microRAMAN: rapid identification of unknown substances

During an incident, there is no time for laboratory analysis. microRAMAN brings high-confidence material identification directly to the point of need. Raman spectroscopy is especially valuable for Urban Security because it enables fast, non-destructive chemical characterization of many solids or liquids.

Designed to work together

The first layer of security is provided by the miniEXPLONIX Explosive Trace Detector (ETD). This compact and highly sensitive device is designed for rapid screening of large numbers of people. It detects invisible traces of explosives that may remain on clothing, skin, or personal items as a result of handling explosive materials. Thanks to its speed and sensitivity, miniEXPLONIX enables effective preventive control, significantly reducing the risk that an individual could be carrying or smuggling an explosive device.

If a security check leads to the detention of a person and a visible but unknown substance is found, RS DYNAMICS provides an immediate follow-up solution in the form of microRAMAN. This handheld Raman spectrometer can instantly identify visible amounts of more than 24,000 substances, including complex mixtures. microRAMAN allows security personnel to rapidly determine the nature of suspicious materials directly on site, without the need for sample preparation or laboratory analysis.

For detailed and confirmatory analysis, RS DYNAMICS offers EXPLONIX, an advanced analytical instrument capable not only of detecting trace amounts of explosives but also of precisely identifying them. Furthermore, EXPLONIX can be equipped with a scintillation spectrometer, enabling the detection and identification of radioactive radiation. This expands the system’s capabilities beyond explosives, providing protection against radiological threats as well.

Who can use these tools

Urban Security is a multi-agency mission, and effective response depends on coordination. RS Dynamics instruments are suited for:

Police, counter-terrorism and bomb squads (EOD) Police, counter-terrorism and bomb squads (EOD)
Border security and customs inspecting luggage, cargo, parcels, and vehicles moving through urban ports of entry and logistics hubs.
Airport and mass-transit security teams responsible for continuous screening and rapid response in high-density public spaces.
Military and defense forces for securing the perimeter, protecting base camps, storages and critical infrastructure.
Fire services and HAZMAT units managing unknown substances and coordinating safety perimeters and decontamination measures.
Forensic and investigative units needing reliable, defensible identification of residues and suspicious materials directly at the scene.

Urban Security outcomes: safer cities through faster decisions

The purpose of Urban Security technology is not simply detection—it is decision advantage. By combining microRAMAN for on-scene chemical identification, miniEXPLONIX for rapid explosive trace screening, and EXPLONIX for confident trace identification—plus optional scintillation spectrometer capability for radiological awareness—RS Dynamics enables teams to respond faster, with greater certainty, and with tools designed for the real world.

In an urban incident, every minute counts, every false alarm has a cost, and every missed signal carry risk. RS Dynamics instruments help close the gap between suspicion and certainty—delivering the speed, precision, portability, and outstanding durability required to protect modern cities where threats can appear anywhere, at any time.