In 2346, while still under Cardassian control, Terok Nor was equipped with many of these devices in areas where VIPs needed extra protection from possible hostile actions. (DS9: "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night") The device appeared to operate in much the same way as a force field, which scanned the person as they passed the field. The weapon detectors were security sensors built into the airlocks on station Deep Space 9, capable of detecting military technology carried by persons boarding the station from docked starships.