Security agents at the Quad City Airport are now able to examine the contents of a bag without touching it, thanks to a new 3-D checkpoint scanner.
The CT scanner could mean fewer bag checks and passengers can now keep their laptops in their carry-ons while going through the security line. TSA spokesman Sonny Lorrius says the 3-D scan makes detecting possible bombs much easier.
“The machine creates such a clear picture of a bag’s contents that computers can automatically detect explosives, including liquids,” Lorrius says. “The technology is similar to CT technology used in the medical field and research shows that CT is the most consequential technology available today for airport checkpoints.”
Lorrius says CT will eventually replace the standard X-ray technology. The TSA is deploying more than 250 CT scanners to 141 airports nationwide, with more scheduled to change over next year.
(By Marianna Bacallao, WVIK, Rock Island)