AIRPORT SECURITYReimagining Imaging at the Airport
The Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are collaborating on Advanced Imaging Technology to improve the passenger screening experience.
In 2024, TSA screened three million people in a single day for the very first time. With unprecedented numbers of travelers passing through airports, S&T is focused on improving the airport experience of the future so passengers can move to their destinations with ease. New and retrofitted passenger screening systems are currently being tested at S&T’s Transportation Security Laboratory (TSL) in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Developing the Future of Aviation Security
The S&T Screening at Speed Program, in collaboration with TSA, is developing new concepts and technologies to help the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) meet the needs of passengers while also fine-tuning detection performance, so TSA continues to stay ahead of evolving threats and keep the traveling public safe. The Screening at Speed Program is working with the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to develop improved detection capabilities and a more user-friendly passenger experience. High Definition-Advanced Imaging Technology (HD-AIT) is the backbone of this development.
What Is High Definition-Advanced Imaging Technology?
HD-AIT uses non-harmful radio waves known as millimeter waves that pass through natural and synthetic materials to generate high-resolution data. Millimeter waves can penetrate through fabrics to screen for concealed objects, including non-metallic objects that traditional metal detectors aren’t designed to detect. However, the millimeter waves are completely safe as they are 10,000 times less powerful than cell phone signals and don’t penetrate the skin. This data is not reviewed by a human but processed by an algorithm that protects passenger privacy and provides results on a generic representative human figure for Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) to review. The algorithm will alert the TSO that an anomaly has been detected by presenting identifiers on the generic representative human image, so they can conduct secondary screening as needed.
Integrating HD-AIT into standard airport screening lanes could allow passengers to keep light sweaters, jackets, and even shoes on during screening as well as making the detection and identification of threats easier while reducing false alarms. These enhancements provide an opportunity to improve overall detection while also improving the passenger experience. The more forward leaning Real-Time AIT may eventually allow standard passengers to be screened at walking speeds, similar to a metal detector.
Designing Passenger Screening and Retrofit-Kits
The Screening at Speed Program has worked with PNNL to create two versions of the HD-AIT system, the stand-alone passenger screening system and the passenger screening retrofit-kits.
