A NEW high-tech airport security tech that lets officers “feel” for threats without laying a finger on passengers is being developed by the TSA.
The cutting-edge system would deploy VR kits to let officers pat down people at security without needing to actually touch them.
It would use VR headsets, haptic gloves and touchless sensors to let security officials simulate the feeling of touch to identify hidden objects.
The VR element would allow them to thoroughly search passengers without invading their personal space.
This tech is called Wearable Sensor for Contactless Physical Assessment (WSCPA) – but it is still in early development.
“The innovation uses touchless sensors to register the object’s contours and generate feedback to physically replicate the target object,” according to a Department of Homeland Security project overview.
“It enables physical sensation and assessment without direct contact.”
If the tech is introduced, it will scan a person’s body with advanced imaging methods to generate a “contour map”.
This will then by relayed to the user’s gloves, which then simulate the feeling of touching the mapped figure.
It allows officers to perform a thorough inspection of what a passenger might be carrying – without needing to infringe on their privacy.
The DHS adds: “A user fits the device over their hand.
“When the touchless sensors in the device are within range of the targeted object, the sensors in the pad detect the target object’s contours to produce sensor data.
“The contour detection data runs through a mapping algorithm… then relayed to the back surface that contacts the user’s hand through haptic feedback.”
As well as being more dignified for passengers, the DHS also notes the tech could be safer for officers carrying out inspections if presented with a hazardous object.
It could meant that travellers will one day be searched at security without the need for physical contact from officers.
While the tech is currently still in “conceptual” stages, it is protected under a US Patent Application.
The TSA is currently looking into making this futuristic tech a reality.
If realised, it could allow for a less invasive and more comfortable experience for passengers going through airport security.
The project is led by TSA researcher William Hastings, while the DHS’s Office of Industry Partnerships is looking for commercial partners to help make it a reality.
The DHS even suggests the VR tech could end up being used for a wider range of purposes.
This might include medical exams and immersive educational programmes.
