Socio-technical systems of anticipatory truth verification in the field of airport security

In recent years, various entities have started to develop and test machine-based threat prognostic methods with the goal to enhance national security, particularly for border control contexts. These screening methods are based on semi- or fully automated systems that are supposed to identify persons with harmful intentions by measuring non-verbal behaviour as well as psycho-physiological parameters. In order to test and deploy these technologies and methods, airports serve as key sites because they are clearly defined spaces with high security demands.

The project investigates how deception detection procedures, which so far have been crucially based on psychological expertise and interpretation, are transformed into automated systems in the context of security-neuralgic fields of practice. The project uses insights and perspectives from the social studies of science and technology (STS), to study the specific challenges of the airport as a controlled space. We are particularly interested in the interactions of humans, machines, and also animals (K9) as security actors.

For further information please visit our project website (RWTH Aachen University).