Hi-tech facial recognition security will be hidden inside virtual aquariums at Dubai Airport

2 months ago

Passengers leaving Dubai Airport will be subjected to hi-tech facial recognition security hidden inside virtual aquariums.

The futuristic tunnels will hide 80 cameras which scan faces and irises as outbound passengers walk through.

The walls can be changed to show any images including fish, which make it seem as though the passenger is inside a virtual fish tank.

At the end of the tunnel, a cleared passenger will be prompted to have a nice trip, while anyone flagged will be routed to extra security with a red sign.

By using the video walls it encourages passengers to look around, increasing the quality of facial scanning.

“The fish is a sort of entertainment and something new for the traveller but, at the end of the day, it attracts the vision of the travellers to different corners in the tunnel for the cameras to capture his/her face print,” Major Gen Obaid Al Hameeri, deputy director general of Dubai residency and foreign affairs, told The National.

The tunnels, which have a moving walkway, will be installed in Dubai’s Terminal 3, the home of Emirates for next summer, with the hope of introducing them to all terminals by 2020.

The move is to address the growing number of passengers who are passing through the airport. Traditional custom and border points can be a bottle neck as officials complete manual security checks.