Expect more changes at the airport when you check in! The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced this week the plans to buy 30 CAT-BPSS scanners from three different vendors, and will eliminate an agent’s bouncer-like identification check, where a special light is used on the security features of a person’s license or passport. Continue reading after the jump.
Called Credential Authentication Technology – Boarding Pass Scanning Systems, or CAT-BPSS the machines will help agents spot fake documents, at a time where fraudulent ids are becoming increasingly sophisticated. TSA will spend $3.2 million on the new system that will be tested at select airports in 2012–although it hasn’t been announced exactly where yet.
This comes as the airline security agency launched a known traveler program called PreCheck that allows some pre-screened passengers to keep their shoes and belts on. It also comes as 29 airports will get new software for its full-body scanners that will eliminate the so called so-called “naked” images that caused such great controversy.
Click here to see which ones.
In addition, it’s been testing behavior recognition software that trains TSA agents to analyze passengers’ behavior — like excessive nervousness or lack of eye contact — when basic questions are asked.
The TSA hopes that the CAT-BPSS system, combined with the behavior-recognition program (and all these programs –really), will increase not only travel safety –but speed up the check-in process.
What do you think of CAT-BPSS? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
