Futuristic Security Checkpoints Know What You Do Before You Do It

Posted by Spiraltwist on January 1st, 2009 in doomed future, ethics, post-privacy, security, surveillance

    - image via techfragments.com

New security check points in 2020 will look just like something out of the futuristic movie, The Minority Report. The idea of the new checkpoints will allow high traffic to pass through just as you were walking at a normal pace. No more, waving a wand to get through checkpoints. The new checkpoint can detect if you have plans to set off a bomb before you even enter the building.

How does it work?

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is developing a system called Future Attribute Screening Technology, or FAST for short. The system uses cameras to detect slight alterations in pupil sizes, blink rate and even direction of gaze. A laser radar called BioLIDAR measures heart rate and changes between heartbeats. The BioLIDAR can even monitor a persons respiration and track movements in the face, neck, and cheeks. Stressed out? A thermal camera will pick up on this too by gauging changes in the skin temperature.

The protoypes’ initial tests results are showing over 75% accuracy for deception or mal-intent by test subjects. Given these numbers, it might show up even sooner than 2020.

See also:

Link via /., photo via techfragments.com.

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4 Responses to “Futuristic Security Checkpoints Know What You Do Before You Do It”

  1. Seej 500 - January 2nd, 2009 at 3:44 pm

    I’ve said it before, but can this distinguish between people who are actually guilty and those who’re just stressed out? Despite having no criminal record I feel guilty walking past a policeman. Does this mean I’m gonna get pulled out of line every time I fly?

  2. Spiraltwist - January 2nd, 2009 at 6:42 pm

    @Seej 500

    Yes, that’s something they still need to address. Measuring the before and after readings won’t help if you are already stressed out on the “before” reading.

  3. dysomniak - January 3rd, 2009 at 2:11 am

    I saw a story on this via Bruce Schneier’s blog a while back. My favorite part was that the “tests” were conducted using ACTORS. People were instructed to “act guilty”, and the machine had a 75% success rate (which is absolutely miserable, by the way).

  4. Spiraltwist - January 3rd, 2009 at 7:41 am

    @dysomniak

    People were instructed to “act guilty”, and the machine had a 75% success rate (which is absolutely miserable, by the way).

    I know that is a horrible rate, having just survived a stats course myself. Most people aren’t going to know that, and I don’t have any faith that the people deciding on whether to implement these are aware of that fact.

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