What if the person operating your airport body scanner wasn’t a person at all?
That’s the direction the Transportation Security Administration is heading. The agency is developing an automated passenger screening system that would use artificial intelligence and machine vision to guide travelers through Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) scanners without a TSA officer actively controlling the process.
The system, identified in federal records as the OTA Automated Passenger Screening Gate System (Use Case ID: DHS-2397), is currently in pre-deployment.
It represents one of the most significant operational shifts the agency has signaled since the AIT body scanner rollout more than a decade ago.
What the system actually does
The automated screening system is designed to manage passenger flow at the checkpoint while reducing direct human interaction during scanning.
Using machine vision, a form of AI that interprets visual information, the system monitors a passenger’s body positioning as they step toward the AIT scanner. When the passenger is in the correct stance, the AI automatically initiates the scan.
Once the scan is complete, the system routes the passenger in one of two directions:
- No anomaly detected: The passenger proceeds to the re-composure area to collect their belongings and move into the sterile side of the airport.
- Anomaly flagged: The passenger is directed for additional screening by an actual TSA officer.
Physical access between the non-sterile and sterile areas of the checkpoint is controlled by Dormakaba V60 glass doors, approximately 3.2 feet tall, mounted at the scanner entrance and exit. The doors open automatically after a successful scan. If the scan is unsuccessful, they remain closed.
An interlock control unit ensures that both the entry and exit cannot open at the same time, preventing unauthorized passage through the security checkpoint.
What this means for travelers at the checkpoint
For most travelers, the visible checkpoint experience may not look dramatically different.
You would still step into the same body scanner and stand in the same position, with arms raised or lowered and widened, depending on the machine.
The difference is in what happens around the scanner.
This AI enhancement removes the need for a TSA officer to press a button or signal travelers to enter the scanner. However, if a physical pat-down is needed because a traveler flags the system, it will be conducted by a TSA officer.
The OTA Automated Passenger Screening Gate System is currently in a pre-deployment status. There is no official rollout or pilot date for this system, meaning travelers shouldn’t see any security changes regarding this process as of now.
One last thing
Automation at the airport checkpoint isn’t new, and this system doesn’t replace TSA officers. It is, however, changing where and how they engage in the screening process.
But travelers should understand that when this system is deployed, the person who “waves you through” the body scanner will no longer be a person. It will be an algorithm that interprets your body position and decides, in real time, whether the scan can begin.
Several questions remain as this system develops.
