[LINK] Millimeter wave technology

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

TSA Pilots Millimeter Wave Technology at Miami International Airport

Last update: 1:42 p.m. EDT July 21, 2008
<http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/tsa-pilots-millimeter-wave-
technology/story.aspx?guid=%7BD60B8D75-974F-4D97-B5FD-4FDB58495F93%
7D&dist=hppr>

MIAMI, FL, Jul 21, 2008 -- The (US) Transportation Security Administration 
(TSA) announced today a pilot of millimeter wave technology at Miami 
International Airport (MIA). 

The Millimeter wave detects weapons, explosives and other threat items 
concealed under layers of clothing without any physical contact. It is a 
promising alternative to the physical pat-down. 

"The use of whole body imaging is a significant step forward in checkpoint 
technology," said TSA Administrator Kip Hawley. "By expanding the use of 
millimeter wave, we are providing our officers with another tool to 
enhance security and protect the public from evolving threats." 

Millimeter wave is currently in use at Los Angeles (LAX), John F. Kennedy 
(JFK) in New York, Baltimore-Washington, Denver, Albuquerque, Ronald 
Reagan Washington, Detroit, Dallas/Fort Worth and Phoenix Sky-Harbor 
airports. 

In Miami, millimeter wave will be used in a random continuous protocol. 

Alternative screening measures will be offered to individuals who decline 
to go through millimeter wave. 

The pilots enable TSA to examine millimeter wave's operational capability, 
throughput, training, ease of use, and privacy perceptions by the 
traveling public. Metal detectors will remain in place at the checkpoints. 

Each passenger will pass through the traditional metal detector after 
going through the millimeter wave machine. 

Millimeter wave at JFK is being piloted as a secondary screening device 
similar to its use in Phoenix. The technology is a voluntary alternative 
to a pat-down during secondary screening. During the Phoenix pilot, 90 
percent of passengers have chosen the technology over the traditional pat-
down. 

In all locations, a transportation security officer will guide passengers 
through the process, which involves stepping into the machine and 
remaining still for a matter of seconds while the technology creates a 
three-dimensional image of the passenger from two antennas that 
simultaneously rotate around the body. Once complete, the passenger will 
step through the opposite side of the millimeter wave portal. 

To ensure privacy, security officers view images from a remote location. 

>From that location, the security officer cannot ascertain the identity of 
the passenger, either visually or otherwise, but can communicate with a 
fellow officer at the checkpoint if an alarm is presented. A security 
algorithm will be applied to the image to blur the face of each passenger, 
further protecting privacy. Images can not be stored, printed or 
transmitted and are deleted forever once cleared. 

Millimeter wave uses electromagnetic waves to generate an image based on 
the energy reflected from the body. Active millimeter wave technology 
passes harmless electromagnetic waves over the human body to create a 
robotic image. It is safe and the energy emitted by millimeter wave 
technology is 10,000 times less than that of a cell phone. TSA recently 
announced it will purchase and deploy 30 more of the machines this year. 

Millimeter wave is currently in use or under evaluation in several 
international transportation settings including the United Kingdom, 
Netherlands, Japan and Thailand. For more information about passenger 
imaging, please visit www.tsa.gov.
--

Cheers people
Stephen Loosley
Victoria Australia