At theFrankfurt airportthe airport operator Fraport started testing a next generation security scanner which allows passengers to pass the gantry without stopping.
The R&S QPS Walk2000 from Rohde & Schwarz is designed to speed up security checks. The first of these scanners is currently in use in Hall A of Terminal 1 at Frankfurt Airport. This hall is ideal for such a test due to its high attendance: on average, 15,000 passengers use it every day. Passengers simply pass through the scanner at a normal pace, without stopping. The testing and evaluation phase is expected to last up to six months and will provide Fraport and Rohde & Schwarz with important information to help optimize the system.
This new generation scanner is a 360° reader capable of detecting all kinds of objects quickly and without contact. It provides a more pleasant security experience: passengers do not need to stop and raise their arms to be scanned and can instead walk slowly through the screening gantry. Millimeter wave technology can also penetrate multiple layers of clothing, making it unnecessary to remove jackets and coats, for example.
AI-based detection software automatically identifies metallic and non-metallic objects. All anomalies detected on passengers are displayed accurately and in real time on a unisex avatar, reducing tracking checks. However, if a check is necessary, security personnel can focus on the areas that triggered an alarm instead of searching the passenger.
Fraport acquired and installed the R&S QPS Walk2000, but it is the German Federal Police that is responsible for all safety-related testing and will ultimately grant approval for use in daily operations. The test phase aims to provide a direct comparison between the new R&S QPS Walk2000 and the already installed proven R&S QPS201 scanners and to reveal possible immediate differences.
