Pangiam in collaboration with Google Cloud announced the details of Project DARTMOUTH, an initiative to transform airport security operations by looking for threats concealed within the baggage and other shipments at the airport.
Named after the 1956 Dartmouth Summer Research Project on AI, widely considered to be the founding event of AI, it has been in development for almost a year.
Project DARTMOUTH will utilise Pangiam’s technologies alongside Google Cloud’s artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) computer vision tools, such as their Vertex AI Platform. This technology will be tested within the security facilities of AGS Airport Ltd, owners and operators of Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Southampton Airports in the UK.
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The new project is intended to make air travel safer by integrating AI into airport baggage security and screening operations. The technology will in the first instance be focused on rapidly identifying potential threats in baggage, providing increased throughput at security checkpoints, addressing critical friction points in air travel as well as supporting security teams. The technology in later phases will scale to help tackle other pressure points in security and wider airport operations.
“This technology marks a monumental step in bringing automation to aviation security and sets a new precedent for international security standards. First and foremost, the technology will deliver a better experience for the traveller, the airport, and the government. To help us achieve this, we have selected Google Cloud as our technology vendor of choice, a leader in artificial intelligence and cloud technologies,” said Alexis Long, Chief Strategy Officer.
Mark Palmer, Head of EMEA Public Sector, Google Cloud said, “We are delighted to collaborate with Pangiam on this ground-breaking initiative to protect AGS’s network of passengers and customers. The power of artificial intelligence is boundless, and we look forward to improving the aviation industry at large.”
AI and ML models will be trained to be able to detect prohibited items in real-time as bags pass through airport X-ray scanning equipment. It will also be used to spot anomalies and unusual patterns which could indicate a new or coordinated attempt to breach security, before alerting security staff to examine those items further.
