Passenger Screening
from one fundamental disadvantage: conceal-ment”. There are two i.e. to inspect a passenger from a
they only detect explosives, so other approaches: non-ionising radiation distance before they reach the
techniques must be added to detect using radio frequencies of millimetre checkpoint. SAGO and Brijot have
weapons. The most mature trace wave or terahertz energies and ionising focused on standoff detection based
portals are the GE EntryScan 4 and the radiation, which uses micro-dose, low on millimetre wave technology, but so
Smiths Sentinel II, though a new entry energy X-rays. far, image quality is low.
by Syagen, which uses Mass Non-ionising: Several companies, Ionising: In the West, so far only
Spectrometry, a more sensitive including Smiths, L3 – SafeView, micro-dose, low energy backscatter X-
technique, is also available. L3 Trex/SAGO, Brijot and TeraView are ray in the 30 – 60 kV is considered
Cyterra’s EMD system combines working on such systems. Many safe for routine passenger screening.
various sampling techniques with a countries, especially in Europe, prefer These X-rays are either absorbed in the
novel laser-based technique. In the US, – or are required – to use non-ionising first few millimetres of skin, or
the TSA has conducted extensive lab radiation on members of the public. A reflected back. A passenger stands in
and field trials of the EntryScan, passenger stands inside a “phone box” front of a panel and is scanned by the
culminating in the limited operational system. The reflected X-rays are
trial of 47 systems in airports around
the US. Recently though, the TSA has
“…shoe scanners
detected and reconstructed into an
image for operator inspection.
halted deployment due to reliability Backscatter X-ray systems are
and efficacy issues.
use radio frequency
produced by both OSI Rapiscan and
Next are bulk detection systems. AS&E. The technique has better image
These automatically identify the techniques, such as resolution, though contrast for certain
presence of a threat without an image. threat objects is poorer than millimetre
Examples of such systems are shoe
Quadrupole
wave. At this time, inspection is slower,
scanners, which use radio frequency requiring roughly 10 seconds per scan
techniques such as Quadrupole
Resonance or radar,
and 3 or 4 scans at different
Resonance (QR) or radar, to rapidly passenger positions to minimise blind
inspect shoes for explosives and
metallic objects, without requiring
to rapidly inspect
spots. In their current configuration,
backscatter X-ray systems may be too
passengers to remove them. GE slow for primary screening, although
Security and QR Sciences have
shoes for explosives
the image quality makes it ideal for a
developed or demonstrated prototypes rôle in resolving threats. However, this
where passengers stand on a short and metallic objects, same image quality gives the
platform and are scanned within 5 technique an undeserved reputation
seconds. A red/green light indicates
without requiring
(especially in the US) of being an
either threat or no threat and a turnstile electronic strip search. Oddly enough,
lets cleared passengers through.
passengers to
the two concerns with the technique –
While QR is limited in the breadth of privacy and X-ray safety – play
explosives that it can find, its strengths
and capabilities match the type of
remove them…”
differently around the world. The US is
concerned about privacy, whereas
materials likely to be configured as overseas, especially in Europe, X-ray
shoe bombs: compact, high power where a scanning antenna array exposure, even at the miniscule levels
explosives. A trial of the GE shoe generates a rough holographic image used in the machines, is an obstacle.
scanner is currently underway at San of the person in anywhere from 2 sec One non-controversial application
Francisco airport as part of an (L3-SafeView’s ProScan) to roughly 20 soon to be trialed in the US and the UK
integrated technology kiosk that also sec/ passenger (Smiths Tadar). Clothes as well as elsewhere in 2007, uses
scans fingerprints, boarding cards and are transparent to RF in the 25 – 150 backscatter X-ray to screen passengers
verifies passengers’ identity. One GHz range typically used, but threat with medical casts, prosthetic limbs or
company, EMIT Technologies, is items reflect these waves differently in wheelchairs, all conditions that
working on a full body screening from skin so they show up with other systems are ill-suited to
system that uses low energy, low dose different contrast on screen. The scanning. Recognising the potential
microwaves along with inspection image quality, while currently not security loophole, the US TSA
algorithms to pinpoint concealed great, is sufficient to allow operators proactively funded Spectrum San
objects. It uses a red dot superimposed to identify some threats, while others Diego, Inc. to develop and conduct
on a wire-frame image or digital photo appear as anomalies on the body and initial lab and field trials of this system,
of the passenger to show where require additional inspection. known as CastScope.
concealed objects reside. Liabilities include poorer image quality, An option that is being occasionally
Possibly the most interesting and blind spots and the potential absorbent used in Russia is transmission X-ray.
potentially controversial are the Whole characteristics of water. These Unlike X-ray backscatter, these devices
Body Imaging systems. The term is a bit techniques have the interesting – but allow X-rays to pass through the body
of a misnomer as they currently have so far not practically demonstrated – and produce an image that can be
blind spots, including “internal ability to perform standoff detection, used to detect items concealed trianglert
Aviationsecurityinternational February 2007 www.asi-mag.com 9
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