Land Border Integration

Overview

Development stage

DeployedSource: c) Deployed – The use case is being actively authorized or utilized to support the functions or mission of an agency.

High-impact designation

High-impactSource: a) High-impact

Impact justification

Not reported

Start date

2021-04-12 (day precision)Source: 2021-04-12T00:00:00

Withheld from public reporting

Not reported

Mission

Topic area

Law Enforcement

Operational functions

Biometrics and identity Derived by keyword rules; see methodology

Problem the AI is intended to solve

The Land Border Integration system addresses the need for efficient and accurate data capture and processing during vehicle inspections at land-border Ports of Entry (PoEs). The system is designed to detect and interpret alphanumeric values from license plates captured by cameras, integrating with License Plate Readers (LPR) to classify license plate numbers, their country, and state of origin. Additionally, it leverages facial recognition technologies to analyze vehicle occupants, enhancing situational awareness for border officers. By utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and edge-based processing, the system minimizes reliance on centralized systems and enables real-time video stream analysis. This ensures timely and actionable insights, allowing officers to vet travelers more efficiently without manually entering information. The solution supports critical operations by improving the speed and accuracy of data processing, enhancing operational effectiveness, and streamlining the inspection process.

Expected benefits

The intended purpose of the Land Border Integration system is to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of data processing during vehicle inspections at land-border Ports of Entry (PoEs). By leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, the system captures and interprets visual data, including license plate information, vehicle classification (make, model, and color), and occupant identification through facial recognition, in real time. This edge-based AI solution supports situational awareness and operational decision-making by providing timely and actionable insights to officers. It minimizes reliance on centralized systems, streamlines the vetting process, and reduces the need for manual data entry, enabling officers to focus on critical tasks. The system improves operational effectiveness, enhances border security, and facilitates efficient traveler processing.

System outputs

The Land Border Integration system generates alphanumeric values extracted from license plates, along with additional outputs such as the detected vehicle's make, model, color, and license plate origin (country and state). These outputs are ingested and processed to support law enforcement activities during cross-border inspections. The system also provides facial recognition data to analyze vehicle occupants, further enhancing situational awareness. These outputs are presented to booth officers, who can accept or correct the AI-generated information. By delivering actionable data in real time, the system improves operational efficiency, streamlines the inspection process, and supports informed decision-making during border security operations.

Technology

AI classification

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

System name(s)

TECS Mod

Custom-developed code

No

Public source code

Not reported

Sourcing

How it was built

Purchased from vendorSource: a) Purchased from a vendor

Vendor (as reported)

Rekor

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

Yes

Privacy Impact Assessment

Not reported

Authorization to Operate

Yes

Demographic features

Not reported

Training and evaluation data

In support of production performance metrics for device health purposes, LBI uses both license plate and RFID read metrics to evaluate device health states. For example, identifying breakage of devices when there are missed LPR or RFID reads. In the future, LBI intends to use license plate reads from production Ports of Entry (POE) to support training.

Federal Data Catalog

Not reported

Governance

8 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

Potential impact to an individual or entity's civil liberties or privacy.