US airport checks to get pleasanter

As recent events involving an Indian   actor have suggested, security checks at US airports post-9/11 can be “nightmarish” for passengers whose names have somehow got mixed up with those on Uncle Sam’s bulging terrorist watch list. But US security officials may soon be armed with electronic machines that identify the intent of a passenger by studying his or her physiological and psychological responses assessed by computers and scanners.

The scanners, built by Israel’s Suspect Detection Systems (SDS), may reduce unpleasant experiences at US airports as security officials will not have to resort to questioning.  In this system, passengers place their passports on a scanner and a hand on a sensor. They answer questions on a computer screen while artificial intelligence software monitors physiological responses through the sensor. Agents pull aside those who fail the test.

“The technology detects the hidden hostile intent of assailants with a remarkable degree of accuracy before they commit their intended acts,” SDS co-founder Shabtai Shoval, who used to work for Israeli military intelligence, said in a statement.

The US media reported that the SDS system has quietened a lot of sceptics because it is turning out to be surprisingly reliable, with a false alarm rate of no more than 4%.
Israeli methods, like behaviour-detection technologies, will also be used. Israel’s WeCU Technologies is developing a system that discreetly uses infra-red technology, remote sensors and imagers to subtly provoke reactions from passengers. 

The system uses hidden sensors to read a passenger’s involuntary biometric responses such as body temperature, heart rate and respiration to detect tell-tale signs. Sensors may be concealed in a “smart carpet” to gather the data. The technology will prompt security officers to question only those who arouse suspicion.