Qantas scanner can see through clothes

[Ryan N]

Qantas scanner can see through clothes


April 01, 2008 05:04pm
Article from: Agence France-Presse

A SECURITY scanner that sees through passengers' clothes will be tested by Qantas at Melbourne airport.

The airline intends to introduce the device, which uses millimetre waves to scan the body, "at selected Qantas screening points in the not too distant future", Qantas security manager Geoffrey Askew said in a statement.

The test at Melbourne's domestic terminal this week is aimed at assessing the public's response to the new security system.

"Passengers are invited to view and test the equipment on a voluntary basis in order for Qantas to gain customer feedback on this new technology," Mr Askew said.

Passengers would walk into the unit and stand in a designated spot for three seconds with arms raised.

"The millimetre waves used to generate the individual's image are not invasive or harmful. The image created simply resembles an outline of the person and indicates the position of any foreign object," he said.

"The face is unrecognisable and sensitive areas of the body are blurred. The security operative is the only person with access to the image and that person is located away from the screening location.

"This is a major advancement on current technology and will eventually deliver significant improvements for security and the efficient movement of passengers through airport terminals."

Amsterdam's Schiphol airport introduced a similar scan in May last year, becoming the first airport in the world to use the system, officials said.

[Trevor Sinclair]

I wrote an article about this many years ago when it was introduced in the U.S. - it kinda looks like this: http://lifeboat.com/images/x-ray.scanner.makes.clothes.transparent.jpg

[Rhys Xanthis]

I dont think we will ever see this in mainstream. The fact that it takes 3 seconds, requires humans to look at the picture and clear the person would take too long (especially during peak periods).

Not to mention the long lines that exist at Perth airport during peak time.

Aside from that though, it is an interesting concept. Perhaps we might see this for international flights?

[David Knudsen]

I dont think we will ever see this in mainstream. The fact that it takes 3 seconds, requires humans to look at the picture and clear the person would take too long (especially during peak periods).

3 Seconds seems great to the amount of time it takes to walk though the current metal detector gate, go back, take off your watch, walk through again, go back, take off your shoes etc etc

[Rhys Xanthis]

3 Seconds seems great to the amount of time it takes to walk though the current metal detector gate, go back, take off your watch, walk through again, go back, take off your shoes etc etc

I was under the impression such methods of taking stuff out of your pockets, watch etc still applied?

Perhaps i have the wrong impression:p

[David Knudsen]

My watch seems to get picked up only sometimes at BNE, never caused a problem anywhere else so I don't really bother - but for some reason my shoes set off the scanner every so often...if you could just go for one 3 second scan and not have to take anything off (beside bags) or out of your pockets that'd be a great time saver, I'd say it would probably reduce queues.

[Kelvin R]

The BNE machines seemed to be turned up a little more than SYD or MEL's as my shoes set off BNE only, not any other machine.

3 seconds would be fine, especially if it means I dont have to remove shoes. Keep in mind that the machine may only be used on an alarm of the current detector, rather than having to be rescreened.

[Bob C]

And the date is........??????????

[David Knudsen]

And the date is........??????????

I'd happily buy into that if I didn't see the machine in action on the news this evening! Then there was of course the followup story on today tonight about how its a violation of peoples rights.

I saw have 2 queues, one for people who have nothing to hide, and one for people who do :)

[Ash W]

I was under the impression such methods of taking stuff out of your pockets, watch etc still applied?

Perhaps i have the wrong impression:p

LHR T4 has something like this. They take people at random from the queue for the extra screening. They do it as an addition to normal screening, the only difference being after being scanned like this you get taken to the head of the normal queue where you screened as normal.

[David Ramsay]

I believe they are also installing them at NZAA.

[Hugh Jarse]

I remember seeing them on Flying High way back in 1980. That was solely responsible for me becoming interested in aviation! :D

That and learning how to speak Jive.

[Daniel G]

I remember seeing them on Flying High way back in 1980. That was solely responsible for me becoming interested in aviation! :D

That and learning how to speak Jive.

:) Haha, that was exactly what popped into mind!

[Peter T Syd]

I was pulled over back in 2005 at Heathrow to stand in 3 positions while the scanner photographed me. It looked like an x ray as the person who asked me to do it walked around a barrier. There are markings on the floor where you need to place your feet and they also got me to raise my arms on the last pose...I noticed all single guys at this point were asked to walk through the new scanner.

[Rich W]

I was pulled over back in 2005 at Heathrow to stand in 3 positions while the scanner photographed me. It looked like an x ray as the person who asked me to do it walked around a barrier. There are markings on the floor where you need to place your feet and they also got me to raise my arms on the last pose...I noticed all single guys at this point were asked to walk through the new scanner.

I went through the same machine in 2004. I was travelling alone too.

I have no problem with the fact they can see through your clothes, my problem is the radiation. I swear I could feel a fuzzy sensation when they were scanning me!

[adam c]

I saw this in Moscow a few months back (along with another member of this board). Thing is though, in Moscow they don't properly seperate the person viewing it from the scene, so they are sitting behind a desk, and can see quite clearly what is going on without much difficulty.

We stood there for a few mins observing the people and the corresponding image on the computer. Certainly doesn't leave much to the imagination. I remember waiting for a lovely looking lady with large knockers to pass through the machine :D And then we were wooshed away by security.

I have no problem with this as long as the person on the machine can't see the person going through the machine, as this would have privacy issues.