The Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is spearheading a transformative initiative to enhance aviation security through the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). This effort aims to facilitate lawful travel and trade across various transportation modes, focusing on the critical infrastructure of ports of entry.
At the heart of this initiative is a new Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) designed to foster collaboration between the government and industry. This agreement will leverage advanced technologies to create automated, less intrusive, cybersecure, and cost-effective screening solutions for people, cargo, baggage, and goods at airports and border checkpoints.
Building Compatible, Open Architecture Security Systems
One of the key priorities of this initiative is the development of a secure system for data sharing among approved industry partners. This system will enable the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to seamlessly deploy multiple algorithms across different types of screening equipment.
The Screening System Data Sharing Consortium CRADA will allow approved companies to collect, validate, annotate, curate, synthesize, and distribute screening system data to authorized software developers. This collaborative effort will produce robust and reliable threat detection algorithms for Transportation Screening Equipment (TSE) ensuring interoperability and fostering innovation.
To support this initiative, TSA is developing a cloud-based data repository known as the RCA Data Transfer Hub. This repository will house all data collected by screening equipment and algorithm developers, creating a collaborative marketplace that connects various stakeholders, including algorithm developers, equipment manufacturers, software developers, testing laboratories, synthetic data developers, and front-end users.
Convening Government and Industry to Share Aviation Security Data More Effectively
In mid-, the Transportation Security Laboratory (TSL) hosted an industry day at the Federal Aviation Administration’s William J. Hughes Technical Center for Advanced Aerospace in New Jersey. This two-day event brought together companies from various sectors, including AI/ML, synthetic data, and security screening equipment manufacturing.
Participants discussed efforts to move towards open architecture and a new approach to evaluate third-party algorithms that can be integrated into screening equipment. They also explored how to efficiently share large amounts of data, use AI in daily operations, and apply computer-generated (synthetic) data to train algorithms. These discussions highlighted the importance of collaboration between industry and government to increase automation and reduce the time it takes to develop a TSA-certified screening system.
Creating a Collaborative Space for Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation
One of the main goals of the industry day was to develop a framework for a data consortium. This consortium will enable members to securely share data in one place, supporting research, testing, and validation of new screening technologies. The shared data hub will help members train and improve their equipment faster, speeding up the development, testing, and deployment of new screening technologies at airports, borders, and event ports of entry.
The event underscored the substantial need for vast and comprehensive datasets to train ML-enabled algorithms that can detect potential threats. Because manually collecting the needed training data is impractical, synthetic data was recognized as a vital resource to train not only screening technology but also Transportation Security Officers. Technical experts in physics, engineering, and computer vision proposed a new process to verify and validate screening technology, ensuring that synthetic data can reliably replicate real-world conditions.
Feedback captured during the event helped clarify how the government intends to structure the consortium moving forward, including developing a practical charter, rules for membership, and operational methods for securely storing, transmitting, and accessing collected datasets.
“It takes a community to drive innovation, which is why S&T and TSL are grateful for all of our industry partners who are taking the next step in advancing the transportation security screening landscape,” said TSL Director Dr. Christopher Smith.
The TSL industry day showcased the power of S&T’s strong partnerships to modernize security screening and demonstrated the Directorate’s, and the Department’s, commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies to strengthen homeland security.
S&T will share announcements when the CRADA is posted on SAM.gov in coming months. For related media inquiries, contact [email protected].
