The TSA is attempting to perfect the fine art of the airport pat down via mannequin.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on May 18 a joint venture that comes thanks to a collaborative effort with the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) as well as the TSA Office of Requirements and Capabilities Analysis.
The acronym-laden collective is throwing one more into the mix with PATT, or Pat-down Accuracy Training Tool.
It's an innovative way to train agents how to properly pat down droves of travelers as they queue at security checkpoints across the nation.
Using thousands of sensors-2,000 in the female PATT and 1,900 in the male version-this newfangled doll allows officials to measure pressure all over the hypothetical human body. It gives agents an idea how firmly they should investigate potential threats.
S&T First Responders Group Program Manager Ajmal Aziz explains the innovation via press release (h/t Digital Trends): "As I, a person in training, start conducting a pat-down, the trainer will be able to use the PATT technology to see where I'm applying pressure. Is it the right amount of pressure? Am I missing areas I should be looking at? This lets a trainer or trainee effectively address how they are conducting pat-down procedures while increasing awareness."
As noted in the release, the driving force behind the program is to cultivate consistency throughout the agency. Indeed, one-on-one training has been crucial to the TSA in these circumstances.
PATT, however, takes out the subjective nature: A touch deemed too hard or too light will be the same regardless of the time, day and trainee. That's not exactly the same with human-to-human training environments.
Getting real-time feedback leads to expedited efficiency. PATT TSA technical monitor, David Band explains, "Training without feedback is akin to learning how to drive a car with no working gauges.
"While an experienced driver could help give you some helpful guidance, a speedometer providing real-time feedback is a much better indication of how fast you are actually going. We anticipate that PATT will be able to vastly improve a TSA officer's ability to apply pressure within an ideal range, to cover all areas in their searches and to reduce the time needed for new officers to achieve a high level of proficiency."
PATT comes during a wave of policy changes throughout the administration. Reports reported TSA would initiate more "rigorous" pat downs when deemed necessary back in March.
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Then came word that it would be adding 2,000 more agents this summer to meet the wave of tourists meandering about this season. More recently, TSA announced it would initiate more vigilant screening as pertains to travelers' electronics and food items.
While none of the above makes having to stand in long lines any more tolerable, the above innovations aim to make the process more efficient.
We just feel bad for dear PATT, which is about to have quite the intrusive TSA experience.
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