Athena Security Launches Apollo 500: Pinpoints Where A Suspected Weapon Is On The Body In A Red Box

New weapons detection technology eliminates operator guesswork for locating a weapon and speeds up threat response time in hospitals, schools, and other facilities.

Security teams face enormous pressure to quickly determine not just whether a threat is present, but exactly where it is located. Yet most screening systems leave operators interpreting vague indicators, leading to delays, manual searches, and inconsistent decision-making. Athena Security, Inc., today announced the launch of Apollo 500, a next-generation weapons detection system that delivers real-time location alert lights, instantly guiding operators to the exact position of a weapon or prohibited item on a person or in their belongings.

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Apollo 500 by Athena Security pinpoints the location of a suspected weapons threat on the body with a red box alert.

Apollo 500 represents a significant evolution in threat-detection workflow. Instead of relying on ambiguous or generalized alerts, Apollo uses precision light boxes that show operators exactly where the potential threat is—arms, legs, waistline, backpack, purse, or carried item—reducing confusion and dramatically speeding screening accuracy. This link goes to a demonstration video of the weapons detection system.

“In high-traffic environments, every second counts—and uncertainty slows teams down,” states Lisa Falzone, Co-Founder and President of Athena Security. “Apollo 500 brings clarity to the screening process by giving operators precise, visual, and immediate intelligence. When security teams know exactly where to look, they can respond faster, reduce friction, and keep lines moving safely and efficiently.”

Threat identification challenges have become more urgent as hospitals, schools, and public institutions face rising incidents and increasing pressure to maintain both safety and throughput. Research shows that security screening systems that rely on manual operator interpretation are prone to variability, with different officers resolving the same alert in different ways and at different speeds.

According to ASIS International’s Physical Security Measures, ambiguous or non-specific alert zones increase operator workload and create inconsistent secondary screening decisions, which in turn slow visitor throughput. Apollo 500 directly addresses this operational challenge by enabling teams to pinpoint potential threats. In the newly released demonstration video, Apollo’s system illustrates how visual-location indicators reduce the cognitive load on operators and create a faster, safer, more consistent screening experience.

Key advantages of Apollo 500 include:

Real-time Red-Box visual indication that pinpoints the exact location of a weapon or prohibited item

• Faster and more confident decision-making for security teams
• Reduced operator error and the elimination of guesswork
• Streamlined throughput for hospitals, schools, corporate campuses, and public venues
• Enhanced safety through clearer, more actionable intelligence

“Traditional systems give you a general alert. Apollo tells you exactly where to look,” says Chris Ciabarra, Co-Founder and CTO/Chief AI Officer of Athena Security. “We designed the Apollo 500 to eliminate confusion at the very moment decisions matter most. When operators can instantly see where a threat is located, accuracy goes up, search times go down, and the entire screening process becomes safer for everyone.”

While no weapons detection system operates at 100% accuracy, technologies like Apollo 500 and AI-enabled X-ray help organizations achieve higher standards of speed, clarity, and operational confidence. By adopting solutions designed for real-world conditions, security teams can respond faster, reduce uncertainty, and create safer environments.

About Athena Security

Athena Security is the industry leader in AI-powered threat detection. Its mission is to safeguard people and data through intelligent innovation, and its solutions – including weapons detection, visitor management, telepresence, AI-assisted X-ray and smart glasses technology– are deployed to protect facilities, people, and critical assets. Athena Security partners with organizations across industries to enhance their security posture and help protect individuals in schools, hospitals, retail and public spaces across the US. Athena Security is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with remote offices in San Francisco, California, and Jacksonville, Florida. To learn more, visit www.Athena-Security.com.

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In high-traffic environments, every second counts, and uncertainty slows teams down. Apollo 500 brings clarity to the screening process by giving operators precise, visual, and immediate intelligence.