Image courtesy of Cobalt
How many times have you been to the airport and, whether it be on purpose or not, had to relinquish that big bottle of water you just purchased before going through security?
In the future, you might not have to.
Several companies have developed the technology to screen that water bottle to make sure it's just water - or coffee or iced tea or whatever - and not a liquid explosive. Now, according to the London-bases newspaper The Guardian, 65 airports in Europe are using the Insight100 Liquid Explosive Detection System scanner as a test run for full implementation.
Since 2006, airline travelers could not take any liquid - water, shampoo, deodorant, etc. - greater than 3.4 ounces with them to carry on to the aircraft. The rule was instituted after terrorists tried to create a makeshift bomb out of a flammable liquid concealed in an everyday water bottle. You can pack full-size items into your luggage, but not as a carry-on.
That could change by 2016 thanks to the Insight100.
The scanner is made by the British company Cobalt Light Systems and each unit costs about $64,000. Whether it saves time at security checkpoints or increases the wait remains to be seen. Company officials said it takes just five seconds to place the bottle or material into a compartment of the scanner, and a screen tells the operator whether any ingredients in the liquid are unsafe.
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