Over at phys.org is an article on new technology being rolled out at Singapore's Changi airport, and trialled in several other locations.
Facial scanning in particular is generating a lot of buzz. Changi in the affluent city-state of Singapore, regarded as among the world's best airports, is set to roll out this biometric technology at a new terminal to open later this year.
Passengers will have their faces scanned when they first check in and at subsequent stages, theoretically allowing them to go through the whole boarding process quickly without encountering another human.
Australia announced in July an investment of Aus$22.5 million ($17.5 million) to introduce face recognition technology at all the country's international airports, while Dubai Airport is also trialling it.
[...] Robots are appearing at some major hubs, including at Seoul's Incheon airport, where they carry out tasks including cleaning and carrying luggage, while Changi's new terminal will have robotic cleaners complete with butlers' uniforms.
The article is a widely reprinted AFP story, but Business Traveller also has it's own walk through of the new terminal, which focuses on the overall experience of the traveller rather than the technology, but also includes some additional details on the system:
[...] the machine measures key facial features and structure rather than details such as haircuts and facial hair, so barring reconstructive surgery passengers can rest assured that the scanning will work even if they look slightly different to their passport photo. The scanning works by filming a short video and selecting the optimal “frame” that best meets the necessary criteria, making absolute stillness while the photo is being taken not necessary. Glasses do need to be removed during this process, however.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by maxwell demon on Sunday August 27 2017, @08:27PM (1 child)
Muslim women will soon be at an advantage: A burka is quite effective in preventing face recognition.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Monday August 28 2017, @12:07AM
...while also marking you as a person 9000% more likely to be a terrorist. Kinda defeats the purpose of defeating the purpose, doesn't it?
(Score: 5, Funny) by Geezer on Sunday August 27 2017, @08:32PM (4 children)
So airports are harnessing the power of automation to bring us new efficiencies in rudeness, inconvenience, discomfort, and boredom.
Now that's what I call progress!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 27 2017, @08:46PM
Battlebots seems to have some promising baggage handling robots.
(Score: 3, Informative) by PartTimeZombie on Sunday August 27 2017, @08:47PM (2 children)
While your point is valid, Changi Airport in Singapore might be an exception, based on my experience.
The immigration people must be the friendliest, most helpful I have ever come across. Singapore also has a policy of making sure people are employed, so I wonder what they will do once things are automated.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 27 2017, @09:11PM (1 child)
A little training at Dulles or O'Hare will cure them of any such good practices.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday August 29 2017, @09:15PM
I have never flown into Dulles or O'Hare, but I got the impression at Heathrow that the immigration bloke was going to tell my family and I to fuck off.
Extremely rude man.
(Score: 3, Funny) by RamiK on Sunday August 27 2017, @08:38PM (1 child)
The TSA will have you carry your baggage as they drag you kicking and screaming to a black site.
Btw, in Soviet Russia, baggage carry you [youtube.com].
compiling...
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Monday August 28 2017, @12:09AM
Last time I flew to San Francisco I noticed that the goons went rummaging through my luggage and scraped the matte screen protector on my phone in doing so.
If there was any justice in the matter, I had some unwash cum-stained shorts in there. I hope that pig-fucker got some on his or her forearm.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 27 2017, @09:04PM (1 child)
Humans need to feel useful, humans need to stay active, I think there is some amount of automation that should purposefully be avoided. This new future where cameras are everywhere and BOTS can track you by facial recognition is one I don't want to live in. I can only hope that other people begin to see how negative the trend is, but I suspect the convenience aspect will keep most people from thinking about it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 28 2017, @02:36AM
> ...BOTS can track you by facial recognition
All the big box stores have been doing this for years (but without facial recognition...yet), keeping track of your movements through the store. If many people loiter at a particular display, that's positive feedback to the marketing department(s), etc. Plenty of interest in this data for "retail analytics". Quick google turned up this overview, http://digitalmortar.com/overview-in-store-tracking-technology/ [digitalmortar.com]
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 27 2017, @09:15PM (1 child)
Go fuck yourself and just let me buy tickets anonymously with cash. A society that doesn't care about privacy and anonymity is a society that should simply cease to exist.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 28 2017, @04:09PM
The US gov is working overtime to bring about its own downfall, so looks like you'll get your wish.