TSA approves GE's foot-scanner for Registered Traveler program
Planners say requiring shoe removal would waste the time the program is intended to save; Unisys takes a close look for its Reno operations, but Z-Backscatter technology may also do the trick; size of kiosks a critical issue
The Registered Traveler program may get even faster now that the Transportation Security Administration has approved General Electric Security’s foot-scanning machine, Card Technology reported yesterday. Passengers enrolled in the program already receive expedited security treatment — the payoff for the $100 annual fee and background check — but many have been concerned that requiring them to remove their shoes would have slowed down the process and betrayed the program’s raison detre[/]. Installing shoe-scanners would presumably solve this problem.
The approval “is an exciting step forward,” said Larry Zmuda, who oversees Registered Traveler efforts for Unisys, which has a contract to run the program in Reno, Nevada. Space, however, may still present a problem. The kiosks containing the foot-scanning technology weighs 800 pounds, and may prove too large for some Registered Traveler areas, which are typically “tall and thin.” Keeping its options open, Unisys is also considering buying AS&E’s “backscatter” X-ray machines.
-read more in this Card Technology report
