Accessible Property Screening (APS) Checkpoint CT Prohibited Items (PI) Detection

Overview

Development stage

In development or acquisitionSource: a) Pre-deployment – The use case is in a development or acquisition status.

High-impact designation

High-impactSource: a) High-impact

Impact justification

Not reported

Start date

Not reported

Withheld from public reporting

Not reported

Mission

Topic area

Transportation

Operational functions

No function tag matched Derived by keyword rules; see methodology

Problem the AI is intended to solve

The AI solution is needed to look for and classify non-explosive prohibited items, because this AI solution alongside the legacy explosive algorithms provides a complete solution for TSA. AI models can process vast amounts of data in real-time, identify anomalies, and provide a way to quickly evolve in identifying new threats with a speed and accuracy that humans cannot match. Once this AI solution is tested in the lab and in the field, TSA will have the capability of using Image on Alarm Only to enable TSOs to bolster accuracy while focusing on human-centered priority tasks.

Expected benefits

This AI helps airplane luggage checks by the TSA officers scanning bags to have a continuous always watching partner to alert them to anything suspicious. Currently, a Transportation Security Officer (TSO) who is assigned to every X-ray equipment at an airport checkpoint visually inspects each image. This officer resolves the system generated explosive alarms as well as visually inspecting the image for the presence of non-explosive prohibited items such as guns and sharp objects (see TSA Travel site). TSA is working on developing new Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) algorithms to automate the search for the non-explosive prohibited items (e.g. guns, knives, etc.). Once a threat is found, the algorithm displays bounding boxes around the suspect item for the operator to then investigate and adjudicate. These AI solutions benefit the public by providing a consistent and uninterrupted level of threat detection as an added layer of security. The ML algorithms allow the TSA officers to be more flexible and to better prioritize their attention on important items to improve security.

System outputs

AI system output is a set of 3-dimentional bounding boxes that is displayed on the X-ray image. The bounding boxes are placed on top of objects or areas where the algorithm believes it has found a prohibited item (threat object).

Technology

AI classification

Computer visionSource: Computer Vision: AI that processes and interprets visual data (e.g., images and videos).

System name(s)

Not reported

Custom-developed code

Not reported

Public source code

Not reported

Sourcing

How it was built

Not reported

Vendor (as reported)

Not reported

Vendors (standardized)

None on the standard list

A vendor is the supplier named by the agency. It does not identify the underlying model or AI technology.

Data and privacy

Involves PII

Not reported

Privacy Impact Assessment

Not reported

Authorization to Operate

Not reported

Demographic features

Not reported

Training and evaluation data

Not reported

Federal Data Catalog

Not reported

Governance

0 of 8 minimum-practice questions answered. A blank answer means the agency reported nothing; it does not mean the practice is absent.

Potential impacts and how they were identified

Not reported