Soon you'll never have to take your shoes off at the airport again

The latest achievements in airport security are presented at a trade fair in London.

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At a trade fair in London, the latest developments in airport security will be shown, as the BBC reports. Among them is a new type of scanner that can check feet for explosives even when shoes are on. In the future, these scanners could check passengers' feet in line at the security checkpoint. It would then no longer be necessary to take off your shoes during security checks, as is currently required at many airports.

Most of the developments being shown in London are still prototypes. The systems will almost certainly not be ready for the next holiday. The trade fair is part of the British government's "Future Aviation Security Solutions" programme. The shoe scanner, manufactured by the Scanna company, is just one of the prototypes on display. The device works by having a network of sensors check the composition of the shoe. If something appears that usually does not belong in a shoe, the scanner will respond. A scan only takes a few seconds. The first tests are scheduled to take place in 2019.

jackets and wallets

The Sequestim company is presenting a system that could make it unnecessary to take off jackets and remove mobile phones, wallets, etc. from trouser pockets during checks. It combines a millimeter wave scanner with artificial intelligence to enable scans that have no problem with jackets or smartphones. The sensors are cooled to minus 273 degrees Celsius. Scans should be possible from distances of up to eight meters. The costs are higher than with current devices, but the processing times for airports are reduced.

Durham University is working on a solution that would allow passengers to leave liquids and large electronic devices in their cabin baggage during screening. Here, too, an AI should check the X-ray images and recognize suspicious objects. The system should learn what a normal laptop looks like and thus be able to detect changes in the hardware.

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