A sneak peek into the future of TSA checkpoint lanes. (RCA graphic)
With airport passenger volumes at all-time highs, TSA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are working together behind the scenes to develop the next generation passenger screening technology. The goal is to enhance TSA’s security mission by making security screening at the nation’s airports more efficient and seamless for travelers.
“The DHS Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate is one of TSA’s key partners, ensuring we pursue research and development efforts to stay ahead of ever-evolving threats,” said Christina Peach, deputy assistant administrator for TSA’s Requirements and Capabilities Analysis (RCA). “For our team, collaboration between the (agency’s) Innovation Task Force (ITF) and S&T is critical. We work to assess new solutions in the labs with the goal of implementing new technology at airports.”
John Fortune of the DHS S&T Directorate is a key TSA partner and spoke with Federal News Network (FNN) on the department’s airport passenger screening research, partnership with TSA and the Screening at Speed program.
“Screening at Speed is developing the next generation of technologies for TSA and trying to reimagine the future of aviation security, maybe security for passengers as we think further down the road, 10 to 15 years down the road,” Fortune told FNN. “We’re investing in future screening to ultimately improve the passenger experience.”
TSA partners with Screening at Speed on a variety of projects.
“We work together as a force multiplier to solve some of the most complex problems,” said TSA ITF Director Anca Alexandrescu. “Once technology is tested at the transportation security lab, our team conducts assessments to include cyber and human factors and data collection at the airport.”
Fortune said his team has developed new ways to enhance current millimeter wave technology and create much sharper X-ray images. He said a key goal is to reduce the number of false alarms and additional screening.
“Having that sharper image through this advanced millimeter wave technology, we can hopefully have a lot better screening efficiency and avoid the pat-downs people hate when they’re going through the checkpoint,” Fortune explained. “A lot of our work is going to be on algorithm development. We’re not just looking at using technology to improve the current screening portals we see in airports, but we’re looking at other ways technology could be used to improve the screening process.”
Alexandrescu said alarm resolution is a crucial issue for TSA, which has a manager who specifically focuses on that capability.
“We have made tremendous advancements in our primary and secondary screening technologies and will continue to leverage the research and development to further those capabilities,” Alexandrescu said. “Investments in technologies are critical to providing our frontline workforce with next generation tools to help them identify and resolve alarms.”
Fortune and his team are also working with TSA on researching a replacement or retrofit of the existing passenger screening systems. In particular, he said the new technology holds a lot of promise for changing the way TSA officers screen shoes, although he admits the path could include some hurdles.
“That definitely is a challenge and something we’re working closely with our partners at TSA on,” he noted. “How do you implement a shoe scan, or do you put it in with an existing portal system where the person is already standing while screening their shoes at the same time? Could it be put in place somewhere else within the checkpoint where it might increase efficiencies? Any real-time screening involves reimagining the checkpoint.”
Alexandrescu said RCA, in partnership with DHS S&T, is working on a shoe screening prototype so they can assess the viability of the system in different configurations and concepts.
“It is important for us to pursue technology that increases effectiveness but also enhances the passenger journey,” emphasized Alexandrescu. “We had one of the shoe screening prototypes at our booth during this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, so many visitors got a chance to try it out.”
She said TSA is involved in the early stages of research and development through the agency’s connections with industry, academia, national labs and research centers and notes one of the most recent strategies is self-service screening.
“The first version assessed is designed as a series of interconnected and integrated transportation security equipment that allows passengers to complete screening at their own pace with little or no interaction with an officer,” described Alexandrescu. “The second version, currently in the early stages of assessment in the lab, is a small cabinet design that includes new prototype equipment and integration with a panel that enables self-service screening.”
TSA is trying to balance risk mitigation with the passenger experience, which Alexandrescu admits can be difficult at times.
“The future of screening in aviation security is top of mind,” said Peach. “We’ve been partnering with industry to disrupt and change the status quo, enabling TSA to quickly assess emerging solutions. We brought Automated Screening Lanes, Computed Tomography, enhanced Advanced Imaging Technology, Credential Authentication Technology and other solutions. So, when we look into the future, we envision an interconnected checkpoint where tomorrow’s threats are mitigated in a seamless and unseen way.”
Another innovative concept RCA is working on is off-premises remote screening, so TSA officers from one airport can review images from a different airport, and passenger gating systems are activated to help with the flow and positive control of passengers in and out of TSA checkpoints.
“For some solutions, we can go straight to the Transportation Security Integration Facility at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for testing, and in some instances, we can take the technology straight to the operational environment – airports,” Alexandrescu said.
Peach added, “We are always evaluating our current processes and systems to identify areas of opportunity for further improvement. We are dedicated to and focused on getting next generation capabilities into the hands of our officers who have the most difficult job in the agency. We’re committed to supporting them through innovation and technology enhancements.”
By Don Wagner, TSA Strategic Communications & Public Affairs