Goodbye to the security queues. Discover how to register your backpack without touching it using any WiFi network

[dEEpEst]

 

If you are tired of queuing at security checkpoints at airports, stations or museums you are in luck. A team of researchers has found the definitive method to snoop on your bags without even having to touch you. It is cheap, accurate and works on wifi. 

The method is so good that it has already been awarded the first prize at the recent IEEE Conference on Telecommunications and Network Security held this year in Beijing. In fact it is so simple that it is hard to believe that it has not occurred to anyone before.

The signal of WiFi networks bounces off objects of a certain density, but crosses the finest and lightest cleanly. Researchers have discovered that the waves of WiFi networks penetrate perfectly in bags, suitcases and backpacks. Analyzing the way they bounce off the objects inside these containers, the authors of the study have been able to determine if the backpack has metal objects or liquids.

The tests have been made with 15 different objects in six different types of bags, suitcases and backpacks. In plastic bags, the accuracy with which suspicious objects are detected as electronic or explosive devices is 99%. Metal objects are identified by 98%, and liquids by 95%. This effectiveness is reduced to 90% in suitcases or if the object is wrapped in several layers of materials that hinder the passage of waves. All in all, it remains a more than applicable precision in a real environment.

The authors of the study explain that their technique does not completely replace safety records, but minimizes them because it allows them to direct people carrying suspicious objects to the safety line and let the rest pass with the assurance that they do not carry anything dangerous . The technique only involves installing three additional WiFi antennas and works on any existing network. It is cheap and can detect explosives, weapons, bulky metal objects and even acids or drugs. The next step is to adjust the system to determine the exact shape of the object and the amount of liquid.