One day in the future, instead of having your bag opened by an agent of the TSA, you may just load it into a scanning machine yourself.
Qylur Security Systems has created a product that scans bags for illegal substances and also for dangerous or prohibited objects. It is called the Qylatron Entry Experience Solution and it provides an unmanned security system.
You step up to a box. It scans your ticket. You walk over to the indicated box. You put your purse or backpack or luggage into the large box that is akin to a microwave, but shaped like a hexagon. A variety of sensors check for radioactive substances, explosive substances or chemical substances.
Now that such weapons are out of the way, the Qylatron checks for other weapons and prohibited objects. Multiple X-rays are taken, and the shapes of objects are checked against a database. In this way, guns or knives can be found inside of bags. If a threat is discovered, the door turns red and security will approach. If the scan is clear, the door turns green and you take your bag out and are free to move on your way. The whole process takes a few seconds. And with five boxes per Qylatron scanning unit, a long line of people can be taken care of in minutes.
According to Wired, the Qylatron system was tested at Arena de Baixada stadium in Curitiba, Brazil, one of the World Cup venues. The system was used at one entrance for the Arena, for four different games. In this instance, the scanning technology was also paired with a human observer who checked the X-rays for other items prohibited for the soccer matches: computers, large umbrellas, flagpoles, large flags, megaphones and even vuvuzelas.
Obviously, adding a human component would likely slow down the process some, but in the future even that could be avoided by adding additional objects to the image recognition software that works with the X-rays.
Qylur has stated that the technology will be used in other places later this year. So it may not be too long before your bag is getting scanned at a concert for your favorite band, a convention for whatever hobby you love, a bus depot in your city or maybe even the airport where you are catching your flight.
You can see the Qylatron in action at the video below.
