Fraport Airport in Germany has begun testing a walk-through security scanner for passengers in Frankfurt Airport’s Schengen Concourse A of Terminal 1, which receives 15,000 passengers every day on average.
The R&S QPS Walk2000 from Rohde & Schwarz is designed to speed up security checks. Passengers simply walk through the scanner at a normal pace without stopping. The test and evaluation phase are set to last up to six months and will provide Fraport and Rohde & Schwarz with information to help optimize the system.
The R&S QPS Walk2000 is a 360° walk-through scanner that can detect all kinds of items quickly and contact-free. The scanner has been designed to provide a more pleasant security experience as passengers do not have to stop to be scanned and can instead slowly walk through the R&S QPS Walk2000. The millimeter-wave technology can also penetrate multiple layers of clothing, making it unnecessary to remove jackets and coats, for example. This makes a big difference in terms of comfort and personal privacy when going through security.
AI-based detection software automatically identifies metallic and non-metallic objects. Any anomalies detected on passengers are accurately displayed in real time on a unisex avatar, reducing the need for follow-up checks. If, however, a check is needed, security staff can focus on the areas that have triggered an alarm instead of patting down the passenger.
The evaluation of the walk-through scanner at Frankfurt Airport is being carried out jointly by the German Federal Police and Fraport – Fraport acquired and set up the R&S QPS Walk2000, but it is the German Federal Police who are responsible for all security-related tests and will ultimately grant approval for use in day-to-day operations.
The test phase at Frankfurt Airport aims to provide a direct comparison with the R&S QPS Walk2000 and the tried and tested R&S QPS201 scanners already installed and reveal any immediate differences. The collaborative trial installation aims to make walk-through security checks for passengers just as reliable as the highly efficient checks provided by the R&S QPS201.
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