Following a successful pilot testing effort earlier this year, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has begun installing new software that automatically detects threats on people who are screened by millimeter wave-based whole body imagers at the nation’s airports.
The millimeter wave Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) systems used at airport checkpoints are made by L-3 Communications [LLL]. OSI Systems [OSIS] Rapiscan Systems division makes backscatter X-Ray-based AITs that are also deployed at the nation’s airports.
This fall TSA expects to begin pilot testing automatic threat recognition (ATR) software on the Rapiscan AIT systems at select airports once that company has developed the algorithms to the agency’s liking.
The pilot tests of the L-3 machines upgraded with the ATR software took place at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson, Las Vegas McCarran and Reagan National Airports during the winter. Those machines retained the ATR software after the testing was completed and are now beginning routine operations with the software.
$2.7M to L-3 for ATR
In a response to an email query, TSA tells TR2 that it spent about $2.7 million for L-3 to develop the ATR software, including the deployment of the software to currently fielded millimeter wave units. TSA has deployed to nearly 500 AIT systems to 78 airports. L-3 has supplied 241 of the systems to 40 airports.
Deploying the ATR software will eliminate the need for a Transportation Security Officer (TSO) to remotely review the image of a person being screened, freeing up the officer to do other duties. Eliminating the remote viewing station will also save on construction costs, as future viewing stations won’t be needed, and save airports precious real estate.
Current TSA policy requires the TSO viewing the image scan to be located remotely from the checkpoint for privacy reasons because the scanned images, while blurring the face of an individual, peer beneath a person’s clothing to reveal their private areas as well as any items they may be hiding on themselves.
With the ATR algorithms on the AIT machines, a TSO at the machine will be able to look at a monitor attached to the machined that will show computer-generated generic outline of the person being screened with the location or locations of any potential threats marked on that outline, alerting the agent to the need for additional screening. If no threat is detected, an “OK” appears on the monitor with no outline and the person is cleared.
“Our top priority is the safety of the traveling public, and TSA constantly strives to explore and implement new technologies that enhance security and strengthen privacy protections for the traveling public,” TSA Administrator John Pistole said in a statement. “This software upgrade enables us to continue providing a high level of security through advanced imaging technology screening, while improving the passenger experience at checkpoints.”
TSA also worked with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology branch on the development of the ATR software.
All the upgrades to the L-3 machines will occur in the coming months, TSA says. The use of the ATR software is expected to improve throughput of passengers at the AIT machines. However, AIT throughput has not been an issue at checkpoints as the increased time it takes for travelers to pass through security lanes has been attributed to the time it takes for screeners to review images produced by X-ray machines of carry-on luggage.
TSA tested L-3’s ATR software on the company’s ProVision AIT machines at three airports in February. In addition to its deployments at certain U.S. airports, L-3 has supplied the ProVision to airports in The Netherlands, Canada, Europe and Asia. The threat detection algorithms have been operating at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam since early 2010.
L-3 is working with regulators in other countries where the ProVision system is deployed to introduce the ATR software, William Frain, senior vice president for Government Affairs at L-3’s Security & Detection Systems unit, tells TR2 via email.
TSA expects to deploy additional AIT systems to airports this year. The agency is also preparing a Request for Proposals for release in the fourth quarter of FY ’11 for AIT 2, which will include larger footprint body imagers such as those currently supplied by L-3 and Rapiscan, as well as machines with a smaller footprint that could be deployed at small and medium-size airports.
American Science and Engineering [ASEI], which has a backscatter-based AIT system, and Britain’s Smiths Detection, which has a millimeter wave- based AIT system, are currently having their respective systems tested by TSA inside a testing facility. Both systems are expected to move to operational pilot tests at select airports in the coming months.
Unlike L-3 and Rapiscan, neither AS&E nor Smiths detection have received any funding from the TSA to develop their respective ATR algorithms. Some industry officials believe that this is another example of the agency “playing favorites.”
A small engineering company, Tek84, is developing an AIT system based on backscatter and transmission X-Ray that it hopes to soon introduce for testing at the DHS’ Transportation Security Laboratory.
TSA told an industry gathering last month that it expects to make low-rate production awards for AIT 2 in the first quarter of FY ’12, followed by full-rate production awards in the fourth quarter of FY ’12.