Transportation Security Administration Testing New Technology to Limit Obtrusive Body Searches

On July 31, the Transportation Security Administration provided information about new technology that limits obtrusive body searches. New technologies will be tested in the future at airport security checkpoints in Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York-John F. Kennedy.

The machines that are being tested utilize imaging technologies to scan people for weapons, explosives and other threat items concealed under clothing without physical contact.

The TSA's announcement marks the expansion of testing of new technologies to eliminate physical pat-downs of passengers. They are testing the new technologies to figure out which one to use on a more broad scale. The backscatter technology uses a narrow low intensity beam scanned over the body to detect unwanted materials. The millimeter wave image technology takes a photo negative of a person using electromagnetic waves to show dangerous materials on a passenger. The image in either technology can show concealed weapons, explosives, and other "threat items." The image will be viewed by someone at a remote terminal not by the officer at hand. The TSA says the images are not being stored, transmitted or printed.

TSA adminstrator Kip Hawley believes the new technologies are critical to enhancing the security screening process. Describing the technology, he stated, "Millimeter wave and backscatter expand our explosives detection capabilities at the checkpoint, and further testing will allow us to determine the role these technologies can play in the future."

American Science and Engineering, L-3 Communications and Rapiscan Systems are the companies whose equipment will be contracted by the TSA. The TSA announced that the total cost of the initial contracts is approximately $2.3 million. They also have options to buy additional units.

Some of this new technology has been in place already in the airports. Backscatter technology has been present in Phoenix since February. Many passengers have tried the backscatter screening over being patted down by the TSA official at the security checkpoint.