8/31/2010
By Kaye Beach
A few weeks ago I devoted an entire show to the subject of the TSA’s use of Full Body Scanners. I suggested that even if you were not concerned about the possible negative health effects of the scanners, even if you had no concerns about how the images might be shared or used, and even if you did not particularly feel violated by the use of the devices, that you might think about refusing anyway.
One of the reasons I suggested this is because the government will never seems to be satisfied with just one more ridiculous level of intrusion. They will push it as far as we allow.
DHS justified increased placement and use of the body scanning machines (even before the underwear bomber incident) based upon the observation that most people were accepting them with no fuss. This is a precedent that the government takes as an invitation to keep pushing the envelope.
Well, now they are looking at “skeletal scans” using x-rays, gamma rays or some other type of energy “to create a bone signature for each person”
The federal government, according to the second article below, wants the scans to operate at a distance of 50 meters and the developer says they could be deployed within a year.
I noticed the reference to a “skeletal scan” in the first article and then did a quick search on “skeletal scan” which produced the very informative second piece.
Please, please resist now while we still have that ability.
Facial-recognition solution offers surveillance new edge
Published 20 July 2010
When the new facial-recognition solution finds a match in a database for someone who may be on a watch list, the client may be notified in multiple ways, including text message or e-mail alerts; biographical information such as criminal records are added and the images and made available to the client from any Web browser, including Web-ready mobile phones
[. . ]Our niche is live security in the surveillance and counterintelligence environment,” he said. “Facial biometrics is the first thing we chose to take on. Our goal is to layer in other characteristics such as iris and gait recognition and skeletal tracking.” (Emphasis added)
Wright State researchers developing skeletal scans to recognize terrorists
August 19, 2010
The Wright State Research Institute is developing a ground-breaking system that would scan the skeletal structures of people at airports, sports stadiums, theme parks and other public places that could be vulnerable to terrorist attacks, child abductions or other crimes. The images would then quickly be matched with potential suspects using a database of previously scanned skeletons.
[. . .]the Wright State Research Institute is developing a ground-breaking system that would scan the skeletal structures of people at airports, sports stadiums, theme parks and other public places that could be vulnerable to terrorist attacks, child abductions or other crimes. The images would then quickly be matched with potential suspects using a database of previously scanned skeletons.
[ . . .]Ryan Fendley, the research institute’s director of operations and strategic initiatives, said scanners could be used wherever there is a controlled point of entry. “It could go anywhere,” he said. “It could be in every airport. You could put it in a hotel if it gets down to the right scale and cost.”
[. . .]X-rays, gamma rays or other forms of body scanning would be used to create a bone signature for each person
[. . .]Custom computer software would enable newly scanned skeletal images taken of people are airports, stadiums or theme parks to be quickly compared with those in the database
[. . .]A scan would likely take about five seconds, and a match could be found within another 10 seconds, Kidambi said. “That’s our biggest challenge—to accurately acquire bone signatures at a distance,” said Skipper, adding that federal officials would like to see accurate skeleton recognition from 50 meters.”
[. . .]Depending on the selected technology, a skeletal scan would only expose a person to radiation that is the approximate equivalent of taking one cross-country airline flight. Basing the scanners on currently available bone density scanners could allow the technology to be deployed in the field within a year, Kidambi said. Wright State has a couple of bone-density scanners that could be used to build a prototype. The scanners could be deployed in the field within a year, Kidambi said.
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This story will erase any CSI ideas you have about crime labs and the Phoenix story is not an unusual one.
