The Future of Airport Security is Here!

Posted on 30th Nov 2011 @ 10:41 AM

It’s no secret any more: airport security is a big hassle. It takes so long just to get through the standard security checkpoint, that many people have begun arriving at airports two to three hours before their plane’s scheduled takeoff just to make it on time. But now, some big steps are being taken to make checking in faster, easier, and much more advanced.

The check-point of the future

Now, we’re all familiar with the phrase “all-in-one.” But in case some of us are not, “all-in-one” means that you have one object that performs several different tasks or has many different features. Well, the International Air Transport Association has introduced the “checkpoint of the future,” an all-in-one checkpoint that can scan for liquid, metal, performs a retinal scan, x-rays, and more. The IATA hopes to have these scanners up and running in several airports within the next 5-7 years.

Thermal lie-detection

? Thermal Lie-Detection? That’s right. This new thermal imaging camera can detect any changes in temperature in your face, thus indicating when you’re being honest and when you’re lying. It’s hidden and very accurate.

Bluetooth passenger tracking

This new technology will automatically track the Bluetooth signal given out by most mobile phones, allowing airport security managers to track the activity and location of suspicious persons. There will be no question about where anyone is at any given moment within the airport, and security will be able to respond faster by knowing the exact location of any criminal or dangerous person.

'Super clone' sniffer dogs

Byeong-chun Lee, a South Korean professor, gained worldwide notoriety in 2005 for the first successful dog clone. The dog clone was completely happy and healthy and is living a very normal doggy life. But now, Lee is taking it one step further: he has successfully cloned a litter of thorough-bred drug sniffing dogs at Incheon Airport.

Every dog in this pack of adorable golden Labrador Retrievers is genetically identical to "Chase," a top-ranking drug-sniffing dog responsible for many different finds and busts at Incheon Airport. Chase is a legend in the drug sniffing community, and is now living happily in retirement.

On average, only 30% of highly-trained drug-sniffing dogs have the right nose for the job, but every pup in this group is perfectly suited for the job. Presently, Lee is working and cloning “quarantine dogs,” or dogs with noses strong enough to detect infectious diseases in humans.

Behavioral Detection Officers

Sometimes, a fancy gadget just doesn’t cut. Sometimes, it is better to have that nice human touch. So, in the United States, there is a line of highly trained Behavioral Detection Officers (BDOs). These officers have been specially trained to try to strike up pleasant conversation with passengers in order to weed out any suspicious people or actions. The idea is to try to evoke "involuntary physical and physiological reactions" that people display when they are fearful of being discovered.” In other words, they want to make suspicious persons try to unwittingly reveal something that they may be planning.

BDOs are currently operating at approximately 161 airports nationwide. So next time an airport official starts talking about the unseasonably good weather, chances are they think you've got something to hide.