As threats evolve, security teams face increasing challenges detecting concealed items hidden in difficult-to-screen areas such as boots, shoes, lower legs, layered clothing, and densely packed bags.
Traditional secondary screening methods often require invasive searches, manual bag checks, or time-consuming inspection workflows that slow entry throughput and negatively impact the visitor experience.
The Secondary Screening WDS™ was designed to help solve this challenge.
Built using the same advanced non-ionizing Imaging Radar technology architecture behind Athena Security’s Ambulance Bay Weapons Detection System (AB-WDS), Athena Secondary Screening WDS introduces a new category of secondary screening technology designed to assist security personnel in identifying concealed objects and anomalies in bags, footwear, and lower-body concealment areas.
Secondary Screening WDS helps organizations improve security awareness while maintaining operational flow in hospitals, schools, stadiums, government buildings, corporate environments, executive spaces, and other high-throughput or high-security environments.
Secondary Screening WDS is intended to serve as a secondary screening layer following:
The system is designed to assist officers with additional visual awareness while helping reduce unnecessary invasive searches and operational bottlenecks.
Athena’s Secondary Screening WDS uses advanced Imaging Radar technology to help visualize concealed objects and dense materials in areas that are traditionally difficult to inspect.
Unlike ionizing technologies, Athena Secondary Screening WDS uses non-ionizing radar-based imaging methods designed for repeated operational use in healthcare, education, corporate, and public environments.
The system can assist officers during screening of:
The technology was engineered to improve awareness around concealed items while maintaining privacy-conscious operational workflows.
Provides enhanced visibility into areas requiring additional inspection after an alert or during targeted secondary screening.
Helps officers inspect layered or densely packed bags without requiring every item to be manually removed.
Designed specifically to improve awareness around:
Athena’s Secondary Screening WDS is designed for environments requiring fast screening operations without creating long delays or excessive manual inspections.
The system is designed to work alongside:
Athena Secondary Screening WDS is designed to augment security officers by providing additional screening awareness while keeping final decisions in human hands.
Security leaders at Duke Health, Memorial Hermann, and Lamar Consolidated ISD trust Athena to protect their people. See why hospitals, schools, and government buildings choose our platform. Book a 30-minute demo and we’ll show you exactly what our concealed weapons detection system can do for your facility.
Mesh Grid Example: 160 × 160 × 128
Approximate Mesh Spacing: 6 mm
960 mm × 480 mm × 768 mm
(Long × Height × Distance)
Operating Temperature: 0°C to 40°C
Storage Temperature: -10°C to 60°C
Humidity: ≤80% Relative Humidity during operation
Approximately 400 W
120 V
50–60 Hz
±10% tolerance
Hospitals require security solutions that balance safety with patient dignity and operational efficiency. Athena Secondary Screening WDS helps security teams resolve alarms quickly while reducing unnecessary physical searches.
Athena Secondary Screening WDS supports school safety initiatives by helping security teams identify concealed items while maintaining fast student entry workflows.
High-volume entrances demand rapid alarm resolution. Athena Secondary Screening WDS helps security officers conduct efficient secondary screening while minimizing disruption.
Athena’s Secondary Screening WDS is ideal for:
The system helps organizations improve security screening for executives, guests, contractors, and attendees while maintaining a professional and welcoming environment.
Provides additional screening capabilities for secure facilities requiring layered entryway security.
“Our patients absolutely feel safer coming in when they see that system in place.”
— Brian Douglas
Unity Health, Security Lead
Athena’s Secondary Screening WDS was designed with operational privacy and safety considerations in mind.
The system:
Secondary Screening WDS integrates into Athena’s complete entryway security platform, including:
Athena Apollo™ Walkthrough -Weapons Detection
Athena AI X-Ray Systems
Athena Visitor Management System (VMS)
Athena AI Agents
Incident Reporting
AthenaVision™ AR Alert Glasses
Telepresence Officer Solutions
This unified ecosystem allows organizations to manage entryway security from a centralized operational platform.
Assist officers screening visitors with boots, layered clothing, or dense bags entering emergency departments.
Help resolve alerts generated during student entry screening while maintaining fast throughput.
Provide discreet and professional secondary screening for executives, board members, and guests entering high-security meeting spaces.
Support enhanced security screening at shareholder meetings, leadership summits, and private corporate events.
Conduct rapid secondary screening of flagged guests without creating major bottlenecks.
Add another layer of awareness for sensitive government and critical infrastructure locations.
Athena protects facilities across the United States. Our AI-powered gun detection system helps security teams at leading organizations create safer environments.
Duke Health deployed our weapons detection platform across 21 screening locations. Memorial Hermann relies on our technology at facilities across Houston. Lamar Consolidated ISD installed 24 systems throughout their school district. Jefferson Regional Medical Center, Franciscan Health Olympia Fields, Indiana Regional Medical Center, and Parkwest Casino chose Athena for integrated entryway security.
Secondary Screening WDS™ (Weapons Detection System) is a purpose-built hardware product that uses radar imaging technology to support thorough secondary screening procedures. It is designed to scan bags, backpacks, shoes, boots, and personal belongings without requiring visitors to remove shoes or empty bags, addressing a major operational gap in security screening workflows.
Primary screening occurs at initial entry points, while Secondary Screening WDS provides low-friction, detailed examination capabilities for situations where additional assessment is appropriate. Its radar imaging technology allows thorough inspection without the operational disruption of traditional bag searches or shoe removal.
Radar imaging technology provides:
Secondary Screening WDS is designed to be operated by security personnel following established protocols when primary detection indicates additional screening is warranted. It integrates with Athena’s platform to provide contextual information and documentation support during secondary screening procedures.
Athena provides comprehensive training on Secondary Screening WDS operation including radar imaging interpretation, assessment techniques for various item types, visitor communication protocols, and integration with overall security response plans that leverage the system’s low-friction advantages.
Athena Security believes the future of entryway security is built around:
Athena Secondary Screening WDS™ was designed to help organizations move beyond traditional secondary screening limitations and toward smarter, more efficient security operations.
Complete Entryway Security. Smarter Secondary Screening.
Athena Secondary Screening WDS™ represents the next evolution in secondary screening technology — helping security teams inspect bags, boots, and concealed areas using advanced Imaging Radar technology while maintaining operational flow and improving the visitor experience.
