TSA unveils new self-service checkpoint prototype in Las Vegas

Early stages concept

How the TSA self-service security checkpoint works

This futuristic TSA checkpoint has what looks like two lanes — each with three “stations.”

Dropping your bag and belongings

At each of those stations, bins for belongings pop out.

Near eye level, you’ll find a screen displaying instructions. It’s motion-activated, so the prompts will begin as soon as it senses you’re there.

You’ll put your bags and belongings in bins. The screen will instruct you to slide the bin forward, so it can then move down the conveyor belt to be screened.

Have a question or need assistance? There’s a help button on the touchscreen. When you click it, a live agent who’s stationed remotely (but near the checkpoint) will appear on-screen to assist.

I tried clicking the help button, and an agent appeared within a matter of seconds.

“Seamless is a lot of what we’re going for,” said Christina Peach, a deputy assistant administrator at the TSA.

Unlike the traditional, single-file lines common at today’s checkpoints — where one passenger needing a bit more time can delay the entire line — you can proceed as soon as your belongings are in bins and on their way.

“I get to move at my own pace. And when I’m ready, I push my bin forward, and I move on,” Peach explained in an interview with TPG. “So, if the person behind me or in front of me needs a little more time, that’s OK. They can take their time, and I’m not held up by it.”

Entering the scanner

Then it’s time for you, the passenger, to be scanned.

The checkpoint uses a new advanced imaging technology scanner with entry doors on one side and exit doors on the other.

Once you walk in, an avatar will give you real-time feedback on how to stand, position your arms and such.

If there’s a problem — maybe you forgot to take a cellphone out of your pocket — it will instruct you to walk back out, correct the issue and try again — no alarm bells or pat-down.

After three unsuccessful attempts, an agent will come over to assist; yes, there will still be agents stationed at the checkpoints. But the whole process figures to be less labor intensive.

Today, around a dozen TSA officers patrol two lanes, the agency said Wednesday. This new setup may require as few as five to eight agents per two lanes, the TSA said, though time — and testing — will ultimately tell.

Reclaiming your bag

After a successful scan, the exit doors will open and you can head to collect your baggage, which is scanned by the TSA’s computed tomography machines.

As at many current checkpoints, your bag may head straight to you on the conveyor belt or to an agent if it needs further inspection. But with this setup, there’s a third option: a conveyor belt that can take your bag back around to be rescanned, eliminating the need for agents to lug heavy bags back around for rescanning.

That, Kusnezov told TPG, should help safety, allowing officers to focus entirely on catching the rare anomaly in someone’s bag that could threaten the safety of the flying public.

“When I see an officer carrying a big suitcase back and forth … or they’re lugging packs of trays back and forth … that’s not a good way for managing the risk that you want,” he said. “You want these guys focused.”

Feedback wanted

It’s not clear how long the TSA might operate this new checkpoint prototype in Las Vegas.

It could be a few months, or maybe a bit more. The TSA will be focused on gathering feedback from passengers and officers alike, which could figure into future decisions the agency makes about how to improve checkpoints across the country.

It’s possible the agency could huddle on improvements to this new system, and then try those out.

There are no current plans to expand the self-service prototype to any other airports. However, Peach said, it’s likely that portions of this concept could someday figure into future checkpoint designs elsewhere.

Ultimately, the primary goal from the passengers’ side is reducing friction points, she said.

“A lot of people want an experience where they can complete the screening process with minimal [TSA officer] interaction,” Peach explained. “They should be able to go through the system on their own.”

Like a grocery store self-checkout

The DHS expects an adjustment period with the new concept as passengers experience it for the first time.

With time, though, Kusnezov expects passengers to like this concept, pointing to the proliferation of self-checkout at the neighborhood grocery store.

“It wasn’t natural for a lot of people to go into there. Now I choose it even if the line looks longer … because I like to manage my own time,” he said.

Wherever this leads, it’s a major step forward as the agency works to modernize, keeping pace with rapidly evolving technology.