Are Wii Balance Boards the Future of Airport Security?

Researchers use fun game controllers as part of $20 million effort to screen airport passengers

By Jeremy Hsu Posted 10.07.2009 at 2:30 pm 9 Comments

Wii Airport Security Way to suck the fun out of Wii CNN

Airport screening technology has turned to an unusual accessory -- the Nintendo Wii balance board -- to identify fidgety, nervous passengers who might have explosives or illegal items concealed on their persons. Or they could have had a long day and just don't want to stand still.

The Wii balance board is part of a $20 million Homeland Security-funded project called Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST). Researchers hope that using sensors to detect passenger heart rate, breathing, shifty eyes, body temperature and yes, fidgeting, could help security figure out who might have something to hide.

Some sensors take the temperature profile of people's faces for signs of stress. Others track eye movement, pupil size, and blinking.

Researchers specifically modified the Wii balance board to show how someone's weight shifts, and have begun studies on whether a certain level of fidgeting indicates the need for secondary screening. But variations in human behavior and standing still (or not) could make this a moot point.

Outside of the security arena, Wii accessories may also find use in medical applications. A separate project looked to provide home CPR training using the Wii remote.

CNN reports that civil liberties advocates have complained of the Homeland Security program's goals as an invasion of privacy. Outside experts also seem dubious that the approach will yield an effective screening method -- after all, issues with fuzzy results continue to plague lie detectors and other tests.

Concerns aside, field testing of the overall screening system is slated for 2011. But don't expect that it will make going through airport security any more fun when you get pulled aside for failing the Wii balance test.

[via CNN]

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9 Comments

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dmcPegaso

10/08/09 at 12:22 am

Anyone loaded up with a typical heart failure medication (e.g. pindolol, keeps heart rate down) and some Valium could have adrenaline surging through their body, and yet exhibit none of the signs and symptoms that this system is trying to detect! There's $20M down the drain...

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QIII

10/08/09 at 12:41 am

Or...

A guy like me who has enough steel holding his bones together to set off the metal detectors gets wanded, then steps on to the Wii balance board and the damaged motor coordination from the broken neck kicks in.

Suddenly, my name is Osama and I get thrown to the ground and cuffed.

If the 9/11 terrorists wanted to get our attention and change our lives, they sure succeeded.

If it had been up to me, I'd have flipped them the bird, told them we were not going to change and that they might as well buzz off.

But getting even would certainly have been in the cards.

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ford2go

10/08/09 at 1:29 am

Maybe there's 20 lbs of explosive that the guy/gal is freting about.

Maybe it's me -- who is old and crotchety and hates waiting in lines.

Maybe it's someone that's somewhat nervous about flying.

The list goes on .....

Nice tech -- BAD IDEA

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wilsontaylor99

10/09/09 at 9:05 am

LOL, the problem is the TSA is full of and run by complete idiots. The TSA is without doubt the most USELESS agency there is.

RT
www.true-privacy.net.tc

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Sonicman10

10/09/09 at 10:23 am

All i can say is...

Epic underpowered technology fail.

-DaSonicMan

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Observer

10/17/09 at 6:00 pm

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line on the Wii balance board, the man come and take you away

Apologies to Neil Young and Buffalo Springfield. Paranoia is the new national sport in the good ol' US of A, the TSA having almost 25% of the over-$100K earning professional paranoids who sit quietly in brightly lit offices and think this stuff up. The other 75% work for Homeland Security. "Amazing" doesn't seem to be a strong enough word.

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