An innovative security screening system is one step closer to proving its reliability, thanks to its success at the World Cup in Brazil.
The standard manual screening at the entrance of four games held at the Arena da Baixada was replaced by the Qylatron Entry Experience Solution, a honeycomb-shaped machine designed to make security screening less invasive, Wired reports.
The system consists of five pods arranged around a central scanner. Those using the system simply scan their tickets and are assigned a pod in which to place their bags. The bags are then quickly scanned in the time it takes for users to walk around to the other side of the machine and unlock the pod using their ticket and retrieve their bags.
The Qylatron, developed by Qylur Security Systems, is capable of automatically detecting a number of threats, including guns, knives and even chemical weapons using a combination of X-rays and chemical sensors. If it notices a threat, it notifies a security officer. In order to comply with extra restrictions at the World Cup, including bans on flagpoles, megaphones and vuvuzelas, a human operator worked with the machines, viewing the scans and watching for forbidden items not automatically detected.
The system is less intrusive than bag searches common at stadium entrances and more efficient than current airport security procedures. In fact, introducing this system could allow airports to reduce security staff by half, Business Insider reports.
The system’s deployment at the World Cup was well-received both by fans and organizers and is important in demonstrating the effectiveness of the system for future use.
“This is especially gratifying as it validates the core principle of why I founded Qylur – to preserve human liberty while offering the most advanced security-screening technology in the industry,” Lisa Dolev, founder and CEO of Qylur, said in a statement from the company.
The company plans to carry out several more short deployments at other venues, followed by more long-term screening locations, although the company has not yet announced where these will occur.
This story has been updated.