Aviation News

• New scanner that sees through your clothes

             London: This is not a gizmo from a sci-fi film but something that will soon be a reality at airports in the UK. According to the Independent, the full body scanner, sees straight through people's clothing and is designed to detect concealed metal objects, including knives, guns, hand-grenades and shoe bombs on a fully-clad human being. It will be unveiled by the defence technology firm Qinetiq, which is part-owned by the Government. The scanners capture the naked image of a traveller even if he or she is wearing several layers of clothing. They come replete with "fig-leaf technology" that detects the parts of the body to be screened. But the millimetre wave sensors will also highlight metallic items of clothing including bra clasps, trouser flies and buttons. They will also show the presence of heart pacemakers and metal pins that have been used to help mend broken bones. Duncan Valentine, managing director of the transport sector at Qinetiq, said, "This launch is a significant development in the fight against terrorism and we foresee millimetre wave technology becoming to people-screening what X-ray is now to baggage screening." Experts believe it will cut waits for security screening at airports and dispense with "pat down" searches by security guards. Only people who are shown to be carrying suspicious- looking metallic objects in clothing or shoes will have to be checked by security personnel.
  May 10, 2004

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