
The way we move through security checkpoints may be changing in the future. This is thanks to a Largo-based company Xonar.
Xonar has developed a security checkpoint system that may speed up the process of moving lines without compromising safety and security. Already implemented for testing in places like the Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Xonar’s system is uniquely changing the way checkpoints are administered.
Using waveform technology, the system is specifically designed to search a person for concealed weapons.
Prior systems used x-ray, 3-D imaging, or magnetometers to detect metallic items on a person. This is why when you are in a security line you are asked to take off your shoes, remove your belt, and empty your pockets.
This new technology would not require this protocol anymore. People who are fitted with pacemakers, diabetic insulin pumps, and other medically necessary devices would no longer trigger systems when going through them.
The system works by sending out a pulse. This pulse will bounce off of a person walking through the system. An AI will analyze the waveform. If a weapon is detected, the system operator would be notified.
This system works off of recognizing the characteristics of a weapon. Things like shape and density are factors used, which leaves little room for interpretation.
The Xonar system is about accuracy and speed, combined in one package. The older systems that are in use today require a lot of decision making on the part of the operator. Generally, they only have seconds to make a determination which is a lot of pressure for one individual.
The new system will allow for easier identification without a lot of operator intervention. This improves the efficiency of security checkpoints and gets people where they are supposed to be a lot quicker.
The system is still currently in the testing phase, however, Xonar is hoping to start selling commercially by next year.