When you get equipment (such as a laptop) checked before flying, usually some time-pressured individual has to view the scan image and decide if it is harbouring something illicit.
Today’s invention is aimed at making this task easier and much more accurate.
In future, all complex electronic gear such as computers, cameras, phones etc should have a barcode engraved, somewhere inside the case, which represents an individual product.
This would appear in a scanned image and allow the imaging system itself to access and compare the image with one taken of the gadget interior as it left the factory (or at least a detailed schematic).
If discrepancies are detected, there is some explaining to do.
Terrorists could obviously access and modify the barcode, but to little effect -they would still find it almost impossible to hide any additions or substitutions (eg of explosive material) within a well-known interior layout.
This would allow many more items to be scanned per minute, lessening the frustration which passengers now feel about the whole queueing to fly process.
