Toronto Pearson Airport tested a new security portal. This is how it works
Toronto Pearson International Airport says their new security portal has eliminated the need for travellers to remove items from their pockets.
“We are very pleased with the results of our beta testing trials to date, having screened approximately 8,000 people in total, and we anticipate reaching 10,000 screens as we plan to deploy at other beta sites,” President and CTO of Liberty Defense, Michael Lanzaro, said in a corporate update Tuesday.
Over the last two weeks, Pearson has been testing a new walk-through security scanner. Liberty Defense, the security company behind it, aims to identify concealed weapons through its technology.
This new security portal uses HEXWAVE technology, which involves 3D radar imaging and low-frequency radio signals to detect and identify both metallic and non-metallic items.
“What HEXWAVE does is it provides us with that added layer of security screening, without impeding the movement of travellers coming into the airport, without slowing down [the] public, it allows passengers to keep their benign items on their person without having to divest,” Jeffrey Barrow, associate director of safety and security at the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, said in the video.
The new technology allows travellers to keep items in their pockets and avoids the removal of clothes, unlike the traditional security scanner. According to the update, HEXWAVE successfully identified metallic and non-metallic threats as people walked through, including concealed un-assembled gun parts.
Bill Frain, CEO of Liberty Defense, previously told CTV News Toronto in February the system can spot the difference between everyday personal items, like a cell phone or wallet, and a threatening object, like a gun, pipe bomb or knife.
“What we do is we’re able to detect any type of threat,” he said. “We’re really looking at any type of anomaly that shouldn’t be on the body.”
Liberty Defense confirmed testing will continue until the end of 2022 and into the new year.
With files from CTV News Toronto’s Katherine DeClerq
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest 3 in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Five areas Canada's foreign interference commissioner says needs more investigation
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue released her interim report examining foreign election interference on Friday. Here are five elements of the issue that Hogue says she needs to further probe before she can make conclusions or recommendations.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Why your airfare may be getting more expensive
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
New weight-loss drug Wegovy not a 'magic bullet,' doctor warns
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Funeral today for broadcasting legend and voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada' Bob Cole
A funeral is being held today for hockey broadcasting legend Bob Cole in his hometown of St. John's, N.L.
Foreign meddling 'did not affect' overall federal election results: inquiry report
Foreign interference by China did not affect the overall results of the 2019 and 2021 general elections won by Justin Trudeau's Liberals, a federal commission of inquiry has found.