SECURITY SCREENINGSpeedier Security Screening in the Palm of the Hand
Though pat downs are currently an essential element of keeping travelers safe at the airport, it slows the screening process for people waiting in line and can be an uncomfortable experience for the passenger being screened. Reducing the need for pat downs may soon be easier.
Though pat downs are currently an essential element of keeping travelers safe at the airport, it slows the screening process for people waiting in line and can be an uncomfortable experience for the passenger being screened. Reducing the need for pat downs may soon be easier, including for passengers with limited mobility, thanks to the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Screening at Speed Program.
As threats to airport security have become increasingly sophisticated, S&T, alongside the Transportation Security Agency (TSA), is working to address emerging threats while also decreasing wait times. Screening at Speed, with funding and support from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program is developing a handheld screening wand that could improve the checkpoint experience for countless passengers. SBIR enables the advancement of technologies through research, development, and innovation by making key investments in small businesses.
“We are happy to partner with the Screening at Speed program to advance checkpoint security capabilities,” said Dusty Lang, SBIR program director. “Screening at Speed’s successful track record with the SBIR Program is an excellent example of their smart, strategic program managers harnessing small business innovation and collaboration to yield the best research and development to meet TSA needs.”
In 2020, the Screening at Speed Program collaborated with the SBIR Program to publish the Handheld Advanced Detection/Imaging Technology System topic in the annual solicitation. This began the research and development of new handheld screening wands using millimeter wave X-ray technology and new cost-efficient 5G communications systems with three small business partners, through SBIR Phase I awards. In 2021, two of those small businesses, Spectral Labs Inc. of San Diego, California, and Luna Inc. (formerly TeraMetrix) of Roanoke, Virginia, were selected to develop screening wand prototypes that resolve passenger alarms and reduce the need for pat downs. Design concepts for the prototypes included a viewing screen in the wand to show where the threat is on the person (using automated algorithms that protect privacy while distinguishing between concealed objects and clothing or skin), a minimum of three hours of battery, and a targeted volume cost of $5,000 or less.
