Pupil Tracking in Airport Security: Can Body Language Indicate Terrorist Intent?

A recent article brings to light a new application for pupil tracking technology in the form of threat recognition and national security. Engineers have been working on a way to identify potential threats by recognizing and targeting certain biological signals that might be given off by a person intending to commit a crime or offense. Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST), as the program is named, is spearheaded by the Department of Homeland Security in hopes to provide a new and potentially more effective way to detect and deter terrorist activity in airports. Essentially attempting to create a remote lie detector, researchers on the project are looking into recognizing certain physiological signs that a body gives off when an individual is planning on doing something “bad”. Using a variety of sensors to record these “bad” signals, the researchers are studying the data to attempt to figure out which combinations of signals might indicate a potential warning sign.

Physical signs such as a rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, increased perspiration, and darting or dilated eyes can all be signs of nervousness or stress. An eye-safe laser, called Biolidar, is being used in the research to monitor heart rate and respiration as well as an eye tracking device to measure pupil dilation. Various other sensors can measure skin temperature and can detect any restlessness or fidgeting activity a suspect might show. An algorithm is used to interpret the collected information in order to more objectively and effectively identify unusual body language that signals the need for further security screening. According to another article about FAST, “As of last year, the program was running at about 78 percent accuracy on mal-intent detection, and 80 percent on deception.” Despite this, there are concerns as to the ability of the technology to distinguish between a terrorist and someone who is stressed for other reasons like missing a flight. Experts say that while the new technology can certainly help keep public spaces safe and secure, it should be used supplementary to simple human observation, for instance, by a security guard or baggage screener. The biosensor technology should be used to assist behavioral detection officers by providing them with information that isn’t visible to the naked eye. There is still much research needed for this technology to progress from possible to feasible. For now, human observation in airports is still the best way to spot suspicious behavior.

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