New mass surveillance technology to pilot in US
A mass surveillance system that uses AI to screen private belongings at a distance is set to begin pilot testing in the United States.
The technology, developed by Tel Aviv-based startup Scanary, combines AI with radar sensors to scan up to 25,000 people an hour from a distance of up to 33 feet and identify any hidden objects they carry. While it does not collect visual images of items, it analyzes their shapes and materials and can distinguish dangerous objects like firearms and fireworks from personal items like phones and keys. Once an individual enters a screening zone, it triggers the radar sensors. Cameras snap 10 images of the individual per second and identify any objects hidden in bags or pockets. If any dangerous or prohibited items are identified, a notification is immediately sent to law enforcement.
To comply with privacy rules, the technology does not collect body shapes or biometric data.
A ‘game changer’ for security screening?
Scanary’s system has already received approval in Israel and Europe, where it is being hailed as a breakthrough in security screening.
“Current security screening methods are simply not working well enough,” Scanary CEO and co-founder Ronen Yashvitz told The Times of Israel. “There are growing challenges in public spaces like airports, terminals, retail centers and transportation hubs, on how to detect threats effectively without disturbing people’s movements and without infringing privacy or the experience.”
“The idea is that people won’t need to go through any gated checkpoints in the future when entering crowded public venues,” he added.
The company is about to roll out pilot deployments in Israel, followed by the US. Yashvitz suggested the technology could be used in sports games and schools.
“I believe that we will be a game changer in identifying pyrotechnics with the rise in the use of pyrotechnics at soccer matches, which present a real risk to fans in stadiums,” said Yashvitz. “The technology allows us to shape the system for other public safety use cases, including schools in the US, in the future.”
