Nowadays, there are a lot of technologies and tools that protect our world and society from different kinds of danger. We already have AI-based gadgets that can predict and even prevent crimes by using the Internet, cameras and other tech equipment. So, today I want to introduce you an invention of Arizona State University researchers, that can prevent terrorist acts or just usual crimes by analyzing person’s face and voice, its name is AVATAR (Automated Virtual Agent for Truth Assessments in Real-time). In next few paragraphs I will try to explain how it works, where it can be used and what exactly it can do for our security.
Firstly, let’s start with the working principles and basic description of this amazing tool. AVATAR is an AI-based computer kiosk that was developed specially for airports and border checkpoints in order to ask travelers some standard questions and simultaneously analyze their reactions to them. By the word ‘standard’ I mean, that AVATAR will ask, if you transport with you some prohibited items such as weapons, drugs, bombs, etc. If, your reaction to the question is calm and usual, AI-based kiosk will let you through without any additional checks, but if it will ‘notice’ some strange face changes such as running gaze or not natural eyebrow twitching, it will ask some more questions in order to hear your voice and analyze if your speech is clear or not. If the voice also does not sound really natural, than it will ask you to go in the other section for passing a full check of your luggage and pockets. According to statistics, in 80%-85% of cases AVATAR was right. Those people, that were behaving restlessly, really were criminals, illegal immigrants, etc. Actually, it’s really impressive result, because some other ‘lie-detecting’ gadgets were showing much worse results.
Now, let’s figure out how AVATAR looks like and what equipment it has to check if human lying or telling the truth. So, before the flight, instead of staying in queue on passport control, you will be staying opposite one of various computer kiosks, that will ask your passport and ID. After you put your passport in special sections, it will thoroughly check all information about migrations and compare photo in passport with your face using HD video camera. If this procedure will be done successfully, you will move to the next verification step called ‘Questions’. As you already know from the paragraph above, computer will ask some basic questions and analyze your reaction to them by using usual HD camera and Near-infrared camera, that will monitor every movement of your face, pupil dilation and glance location. Also, AVATAR will switch on a microphone that will analyze your voice and the clearness of your speech. If kiosk will spot some strange behavior, instead of sending you on the extra check, it can also ask you to put your finger on a Fingerprint scanner to check if you are in the police database and if you are there, it will browse your criminal story and provide it to border guards.
AVATAR currently being tested on north and south USA boarders, also in some airports in Europe such as Henri Coanda’s in Bucharest and Sharl De Gol’s in Paris. Actually, AVATAR is really useful in places like international airports and heavily loaded borders, because it can perform registration tasks faster and more efficient than human workers.
In the end, I would like to say that AVATAR is a really useful and practical invention, which could be really useful nowadays, because borders and airports are overcrowded and staff members cannot provide the service quickly and effectively. AVATAR can help solve this problem.
References:
https://www.wired.com/2013/01/ff-lie-detector/
https://www.ft.com/content/c9997e24-b211-11e9-bec9-fdcab53d6959