An automated security kiosk that uses artificial intelligence to determine a person’s potential security risk could become standard equipment at airports and border crossings.

The Automated Virtual Agent for Truth Assessments in Real Time, or AVATAR, is currently being tested in conjunction with the Canadian Border Services Agency to help agents determine whether travelers coming into Canada may have undisclosed motives for entering the country.

AVATAR is demonstrated to border security agents. Credit: Aaron Elkins AVATAR is a kiosk, much like an airport check-in or grocery store self-checkout kiosk, says its creator, Aaron Elkins, a San Diego State University management information systems professor.

“However, this kiosk has a face on the screen that asks questions of travelers and can detect changes in physiology and behavior during the interview. The system can detect changes in the eyes, voice, gestures and posture to determine potential risk,” he says. “It can even tell when you’re curling your toes."

Here’s how this friendly, bilingual automated lie-detector works: Passengers step up to the kiosk and are asked a series of questions such as, “Do you have fruits or vegetables in your luggage?” Or “Are you carrying any weapons with you?” Eye-detection software and motion and pressure sensors monitor the passengers as they answer the questions, looking for tell-tale physiological signs of lying or discomfort.

The kiosk also asks a series of innocuous questions to establish baseline measurements so people who are just nervous about flying, for example, wouldn’t be unduly singled out.

If the kiosk detects deception, it flags the passenger for further scrutiny from security agents.

Elkins began working on AVATAR when he was a doctoral student at the University of Arizona. He brought his project with him to SDSU, where his research into deception detection using artificial intelligence continues.

“We continue to make improvements, such as analyzing the collected data using Big Data analysis techniques that make AVATAR a potentially valuable tool across many industries,” he says.

Meanwhile, he’s looking for a government agency willing to utilize the technology in a real-world application. “AVATAR has been tested in labs, in airports and at border crossing stations,” Elkins says. “The system is fully ready for implementation.”