b'SECURITY LAS 107the latest technology possible. Gilkeson urges airports planning for future improvement projects to have their design teams work with TSA to find ways to move passengers through checkpoints more quickly, while also maintaining security. An airport can advocate for the procurement of the next generation of equipment by working with their local TSA personnel, he says. Or, an airport can purchase already approved equipment, which is then donated to the TSA for its use at a checkpoint. Gilkeson adds that the Innovation Task Force has streamlined the process to assess and demonstrate new technologies and then make recommendations that shape future equipment purchases. Under the old system, it would take more than five years from conception to deployment.Transition from innovation to deployment can occur much more rapidly depending on the size of the solution. Larger sized solutions can take a bit longer, but now typically move out in less than five years, Gilkeson explains. For instance, TSA tested its credential authentication technology at LAS during the summer of 2018, and now it is deployed at checkpoints across the nation. The system at LAS has also been upgraded to include a more advanced biometric verification of traveler identity and travel plans, Vassiliadis adds. The self-service equipment no longer requires TSA officers to verify boarding passes.Officials at LAS were so impressed with how the automated screening lanes performed at the Innovation Checkpoint, they allocated roughly $4 million to install the system at all four of its standard checkpoints. It is so beneficial in controlling our peaks that it was worth the investment, says Vassiliadis. The new automated screening lane, which leverages computed tomography and a 3D bag imaging system, has also been deployed at several other airports nationwide, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Denver International and George Bush Intercontinental. The new equipment enables security officers to simultaneously review multiple 3D images and manipulate views to get a closer look at questionable items. It also eliminates the need for passengers to remove laptops and other electronics from their carry-on bags for screening. Assessments UnderwayAmid positive buzz about this new passenger convenience, TSA Despite the frequently quoted slogan,continues to try out new devices for screening carry-on bags and What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,other items travelers bring to checkpoints.TSA is hoping for just the opposite. The idea is to rehearse with new equipment andAn integrated screening system that includes automated intake processes at LAS, and then roll out the topfor bins is currently being evaluated at LAS. Passengers do not have performers at other airports.to push or feed their bins through the scanner. Once they load their items into bins, travelers can proceed directly to the body scanners. Rosemary Vassiliadis, aviation director for Clark County, explains it like this: If it worksROSEMARY VASSILIADIS At one test lane, the bins are equipped with an RFID tracking in Vegas, it will work anywhere. system, which facilitates the diversion of questionable bins for manual examination. In another lane, the bins automatically Deploying New Technologypass through ultraviolet lights that kill germs. Interestingly, the While LAS serves as the proving ground for new screeningUV disinfecting system was designed before the ongoing COVID systems, TSA actively encourages other airport operators to deployoutbreak. AirportImprovement.comMay | June 2022'