Hitachi, Others Prototype a Boarding Gate Complete with Bomb Detection - The UpStream

File this one under "nifty gifties" for sure. Hitachi is working with both the University of Yamanashi and the Nippon Signal Company to work on improving security in airports and other venues. The good news here is that it's going to be in one of those less invasive, more efficient, doesn't make you feel like a felon when you paid $400 for a flight kind of way. Instead, Hitachi has created a prototype that builds explosives-detection equipment right into a boarding gate that you would pass through before heading down the ramp to your awaiting plane. The companies say that the process will actually not slow down boarding at all, giving accurate detection readings within two seconds per passenger with the ability to read 1,200 passengers in an hour. The gate will also be able to read a passenger's boarding ticket at the same time.

I know, this is going to add an extra hoop for us to jump through but I'm seeing a positive light in all of this. With as creepy as the TSA agents can sometimes be, along with the differentiating policies from airport to airport and the ability for guns to sometimes not be detected in the naked scanners, removing the human aspect of an added level of security could prove extremely beneficial for the passenger. If the success and efficiency rates soar, perhaps we'll see a more streamlined process on the initial security scanning, you know, without having to remove air tubes from the elderly.

Putting the risk of false positives and other factors aside because this is a prototype, Hitachi and the collective have boasted how portable this system can actually be. The group says that the system is completely mobile and can be set up at sports stadiums, concert halls and other venues around the world. Again, this would remove the human element from the scanning process and save costs on not only payroll, but on overall security costs for the venue.

Check out the source link below for the complete press release and the scientific details on how this whole thing works. I just am pleased to see an attempt at more standard security procedures. We can be sure of one thing on all of this: there would be a lot less "missing" iPads and smartphones if more automated practices are put into place.