it is still the user who must work

To avoid queuing, we have seen the development of self-service checkouts in stores. Soon, the same may be true for airport security checks.

The system has been tested since the beginning on Monday March 11 at Las Vegas airport in the United States. As in supermarkets, on one side we have classic lines, where travelers are supported by agents, and on the other, “self-service” lines, where people find themselves in front of screens and machines, and where you play the security guard yourself.

You start by placing all your belongings in a bin, in bulk, no need to separate your electronic devices. Then, the bin goes for scanning on a conveyor belt. If there is nothing suspicious, we find him at the exit. Otherwise, it will be like today: it will have to be checked, manually, by an agent. Same thing for the body scan: you enter a cabin (no need to take off your shoes). If a prohibited item is detected, it will be clearly indicated on the screen. And if there is really any doubt, again, we will be redirected to manual control.

Four agents instead of twelve

At the moment, the system does not save time. Like in the early days of self-service checkouts, people don’t really understand how it works, so they call an agent to help them, and it takes longer… Plus, there are bugs. A report on USA Today shows a woman who had to go back and forth to the scanner five times because of her hairpins.

Probably in the long run, once you get used to it, it will go faster. One thing is certain: it saves personnel. Only four people are needed to manage a self-service checkout line, compared to 12 for a traditional line.

The tests will last several months with regular improvements. And if they are convincing, the system could become the standard in the future. With these self-service machines, we will note that tasks are still delegated to users. We have become gas station attendants, cashiers, tomorrow security guards… Weren’t robots supposed to do that?