Modern portable sensor packs are the result of centuries of evolution, driven by historic firms such as CryonCorp, Fabritech, Idellian Arrays, and Neuro-Saav. But handheld scanning kits have been an essential staple of both soldiers and explorers alike for millennia, providing enhanced awareness of the surroundings by using a variety of detection suites to perform detailed passive sweeps. The integrated computer analyzes the collected data to locate, track, and even identify contacts within a limited range. The accuracy of these readings is reliable, although data can be misinterpreted by the operator and sensor packs can sometimes be fooled by natural phenomena or jamming technology.

The Biological Sensor Pack (BSP) uses stereoscopic detection suites to survey the vicinity, locating and isolating any sources of heat, motion, or chemical traces to reveal the presence of all life forms, from tiny to colossal, sentient or feral. The more distinctive a target's data profile, the more specific the identification can be. Most packs distinguish between animals and intelligent beings immediately, but can also recognize the most organically unique races with consistency. The BSP can additionally be linked to other nearby sensor banks, networking to expand the area of coverage and enrich the data spectrum for a sharper picture. It can be paired with other sensor packs, droids, or even vehicular and ship arrays. However, portable sensor packs are not capable of performing active focus scans due to the immense power required.