TSA testing a scanner that does not show a person's body
TSA is testing a new Automatic Target Recognition machine that does not show a person’s body but, rather, a genderless avatar — sort of a cartoon of a generic human figure; the machine scans the traveler without anyone seeing an image; if the traveler gets a green light, he or she proceeds; if the machine sees something, it will light up the area on this genderless figure and it will be that area that is examined; the pat down will be limited to the area the machine flagged
A bill pending in the Texas Legislature aims to ban full-body pat downs as well as full-body scans that show intimate contours. But the matter might be moot, at least in the long run.
The Austin Statesman reports that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is testing a new Automatic Target Recognition machine that does not show a person’s body but, rather, a genderless avatar — sort of a cartoon of a generic human figure.
TSA spokesman Luis Casanova told the Statesman that these new machines are testing well in Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Washington National airports, and the next wave of machines rolled out are likely to be this kind.
When this machine is used, there is no man or woman behind a curtain looking at a person’s body. The machine scans the traveler without anyone seeing an image. If the traveler gets a green light, he or she proceeds. If the machine sees something, it will light up the area on this genderless figure and it will be that area that is examined. The pat down will be limited to the area the machine flagged.
The only reason for a full-body pat down at that point would be a traveler’s refusal to go through the new machine — or a suspicion that the person might be a terrorist.
Casanova was not sure when the new machines could be rolled out nationwide.
