Lessons Learned In Developing The VACIS™ Products Available to Purchase

SAIC’s development of VACIS™ provides useful “lessons learned” in bridging the gap from an idea to a security or contraband detection product. From a gamma densitometer idea for solving a specific Customs Service (CS) requirement (detection of drugs in near‐empty tanker trucks) in mid‐1990’s, SAIC developed a broad line of vehicle and cargo inspections systems (over 500 systems deployed to date) based on a gamma‐ray radiographic imaging technique. This paper analyzes the reasons for the successful development of VACIS and attempts to identify “lessons learned” useful for future security and contraband detection product developments.