LA is installing whole-body scanners in the subway that are designed to spot concealed weapons from 30 feet
- Los Angeles is installing high-tech whole-body scanners to detect weapons and explosives.
- The scanner works by pointing a camera at crowds of passing pedestrians and analyzing the data.
- According to the manufacturers, the camera can detect unusual items, even if they are concealed.
- The devices are portable, and will be moved around the system to different stations.
LA's transport network is installing whole-body scanners in the subway, which are designed to identify concealed weapons and suicide vests from a distance of 30 feet.
Local and federal authorities announced on Tuesday that a series of portable scanners would be rolled out on the Los Angeles metro system, though they did not give a firm date for when.
In a join statement, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the federal Transport Security Administration hailed the technology, provided by British company Thruvision.
The TAC-TS4 model scanner looks like a large black box with a laptop attached. Guards can watch the feed from the scanner as commuters walk by.
This diagram from Thruvision's marketing material shows how the setup is meant to work:
According to LA officials, the screening can detect suspicious items from 30 feet away and can scan more than 2,000 passengers an hour.
This video from Thruvision gives a demonstration of how the technology could work:
A release from LA Metro said the technology works by scanning for signals that are routinely produced by the human body. It does not use radiation or have any medical effect on people, they said.
Instead, it can detect when unusual items are blocking these waves, highlight them on a screen, and the guards will be able to judge whether they are a threat.
About 150,000 passengers ride on Metro's Red Line daily and the subway system had more than 112 million rides last year, HuffPost reported.