Today’s airports are busier than ever before and need cutting-edge technology solutions to address the challenge of efficiently screening the rapidly growing numbers of passengers. Rohde & Schwarz is deploying advanced security screening technology at airports worldwide, aiming to improve both efficiency and threat detection. The company is focusing on millimeter wave (mmWave) technology, coupled with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), to address evolving security challenges and increasing passenger volumes.
The company’s solutions are designed to detect both metallic and non-metallic threats, including weapons, explosives, and an emerging variety of items like 3D-printed weaponry, suspicious liquids and many other contrabands. Rohde & Schwarz aims to maintain stringent international security standards while enhancing the overall travel experience through its technology.
The QPS Walk2000 scanner represents a significant shift in screening methodology. Unlike traditional scanners requiring static poses, it allows passengers to walk through at a normal pace. The system detects threats in real-time and projects their location directly onto an avatar, enabling security personnel to quickly focus on potential issues, allowing for targeted search procedures like pat-downs. The scanner is designed to boost operational efficiency, reducing bottlenecks and improving throughput without compromising security through decreasing alarm rates.
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) adopted the technology already at the end of 2023, installing up to 12 scanners for employee screening in restricted areas. Previously, employee screening involved more time-consuming methods requiring divestment of outerwear and items. The scanner eliminates these delays, scanning employees quickly and efficiently without removing badges, jackets, or shoes. This system supports high-volume throughput during peak times, such as shift changes, making it a transformative solution for modern airport security needs.
To date, the QPS Walk2000 is the first scanner used for screening regular passengers at Frankfurt Airport. It is the first airport worldwide to regularly deploy 360° walk-through mmWave security scanner, setting a new standard of passenger screening and authorized for full-scale use by German Federal Police after a year-long trial. Several other airports are keen to deploy the walk-through technology either partly or fully with passengers and staff.
Just recently, Rohde & Schwarz has achieved a significant milestone, receiving approval of detection capability from the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) for its most recent QPS Walk2000 device, allowing passengers to walk through the system at a much higher speed and also having enhanced capabilities to detect threats.
As security threats and requirements are evolving constantly, customers want to ensure that their investment in mmWave screening solutions is future proof and able to keep up with changing requirements and technological advancements. Therefore, it is essential that security equipment can be adapted and regularly updated to address specific security applications over operational lifetime. The Rohde & Schwarz roadmap focuses on continuously enhancing detection capabilities and adapting to evolving threats and specific application needs.
Rohde & Schwarz highlights a broader industry trend towards aligning innovation with stringent international standards as security solutions expand beyond aviation to protect critical infrastructure, aiming to deliver future-proof systems capable of adapting to emerging security threats.
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Rohde & Schwarz is striving for a safer and connected world with its Test & Measurement, Technology Systems and Networks & Cybersecurity Divisions. For over 90 years, the global technology group has pushed technical boundaries with developments in cutting-edge technologies. The company’s leading-edge products and solutions empower industrial, regulatory and government customers to attain technological and digital sovereignty. As pioneers in modern security screening, the company’s millimeter-wave security scanners set new standards for security and efficiency. The QPS (Quick Personnel Scanner) has been improving security and travel comfort at airport security checkpoints since 2014. Its user-friendly design is highly regarded by both users and operators, and its efficient scanning technology maximizes detection rates with minimal false alarms. The scanner uses harmless millimeter-waves in combination with artificial intelligence for the reliable detection of dangerous items. This requires less security personnel and reduces operating costs. The advanced QPS Walk2000 offers even greater comfort, as it can penetrate multiple layers of clothing and allows individuals to walk through it at a normal pace. The security scanners are also used to protect critical infrastructures, government facilities, military compounds, data center entrances, production areas, logistic distribution centers, at border controls, in prisons, and at large-scale events. New legislation, such as the KRITIS umbrella law in Germany, makes such security measures mandatory.