Picking out the bad guy: Israel develops new security scanning system

In the hustle and bustle of Ben Gurion airport, Israel’s national gateway, a traveller is checking in with a self-service machine.

After fed in answers to several routine questions about name and ID number, the machine seemed to be examining the information while displaying “Verifying name and ID number” on its screen. Then, all of a sudden, the screen started blinking red letters reading “Verifying true name.”

Being caught off guard, the passenger, who is using a fake name and thinks his true identity must have been discovered, feels his heart beats speeding up.

Though the man, with nearly nothing abnormal showed in his face, tries his best to regain composure within one minute, his internal subtle motions are still caught by the “eyes” attached to the check-in machine, which actually does not know whether the man is using a false identity or not. Security personnel appear quickly, stopping and questioning the man, who is just about to leave.

That’s the demonstration the leading engineer on biometrics Ehud Givon gave for an innovative detection system. The system, as Givon told Xinhua, can pinpoint, in a precise and prompt manner, an individual with malicious intents from a crowd of hundreds, which offers the security officers of airport and other establishments an alternative to tedious questioning and annoying checks.

He said the system has passed the stage of tests, and is ready to be applied in airports and other public places which need strict security check.

In face of the increasing terrorist attacks, security check can ‘t be too tight in airports around the world. While being vitally important, the rigid checking measures caused headache for both passengers and the airports. Expensive lawsuits or even diplomatic protest against airport authority for irritatingly long questioning and intrusive luggage search are not uncommon.

The new system, named WeCU (or we see you), may bring a change.

Givon explained how the demonstration works out. After the passenger showed emotions like fear, no matter how small, his reactions are recorded by a set of cameras and sensors installed around the check-in machine. The data is then transferred to and processed by a computer, which decides quickly that the man is suspicious and should be questioned.

A combination of precise science and an element of surprise makes it difficult for terrorists to remain calm and trick the system, said Givon.

He noted that tests on the machine have shown a 95 percent accuracy rate in detecting individuals with malicious intent.

Another feature makes the system time efficient. It is built to integrate with existing vital airport procedures such as check-in point and passport control counters, and currently requires less than a minute to process each individual. “This way you don’t bother people with additional waiting time,” said Givon.

The WeCU system combines several totally different scientific disciplines. This can be seen from the diversity of its research team, which includes a behavioral scientist, a terrorism expert, and a psychologist who specializes in stress situations.

The whole system, in Givon’s description, looks nothing but normal. First, a machine flashes stimuli - photos, a symbol, or a code word — to passengers as they walk through airport checkpoints.

Then inconspicuous sensors installed around measure the subjects’ physiological responses and behavioral changes. After a series of calculation, the system gives an evaluation of the subject whether he or she poses a threat.

It is the “stimuli” and “sensors” that make the difference. The varied stimuli were designed by research in cooperation with experts from security establishment. “The aim was to isolate those elements that are relevant to very specific people,” said Givon, currently the chief executive of a high-tech start-up in northern Israel.

And the sensitive biometric monitors are capable of tracing subtle responses, no matter heightened heart beat, blood pressure, or eye fluctuation. Suppose a passenger plans to do something illegal, or is involved with a certain group, explained the chief executive, it carries information and feelings related to that activity.

The logic is that when exposed to the focused stimuli relating to its mindset, the villain will react “emotionally and cognitively,” giving away whatever it’s hiding.

JERUSALEM, March 24 (Xinhua)