Prototype EU Airplane Spy Cams Watch For Facecrime

I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "You can't make stuff like this up. The EU is actually testing a prototype system of cameras in airplanes to monitor passengers' facial expressions in order to detect both terrorism and 'air rage.' The Security of Aircraft in the Future European Environment (SAFEE) project used an Airbus A380 fuselage with six wide-angle cameras to watch for people running or loitering near the cockpit door, as well as a camera in the back of every seat to watch for facecrime like sweating too much, or acting nervous. But that's okay, because the system won't alert anyone until it sees a 'combination of signs,' instead of just one stray expression, or they might accidentally catch a lot of people who are afraid of flying or of being watched."

Like flying much?

[BWJones]

Wow, sounds like a sure fire way to keep people from flying. Already flying is becoming too much of a hassle for many people flying for both business and pleasure and the competition will be trains, automobiles and the Internet. Generally speaking flying outside the US has been more pleasant until recently, but I may try and fly even less from here on out both foreign and domestic.

Toiletcams

[Anonymous Coward]

Prototype EU Airplane Toiletcams are next.

Re:Right,

[Hoplite3]

I think it's perfectly reasonable that such a face cam could flag some terrorists, even if it doesn't flag them all. From that limited perspective, it's an effective tool.

But I think it's shit for two other reasons that often don't enter into the analysis of the buerocrats:

1) It dehumanizes the passengers. I'm willing to accept some risks so that I'm not monitored by computers. I think many people feel the same.

2) It will CERTAINLY generate many false positives. Then some functionary will have to check out each false positive. That person's time will be spent tending the bad-face-machine instead of being more intelligent about watching for threats. This sort of thing ultimately makes me less safe.

And for a good example of (2) in action right now: the liquid and gel restrictions. I was flying to meet some friends for a hiking trip. I checked by big pack, but decided to carry on my daypack since it was just a small backpack like I usually carry-on. But I had previously packed my daypack with usual hiking stuff, including a 3" knife and a tube of sunscreen. When they pulled me aside at the xray, I immediately realized I had inadvertently taken my nice knife to the x-ray ... but my fear was for nothing. They were so worried about my 8 oz tube of sunscreen that they completely missed the knife. I threw out the tube and carried my knife on board. Needless to say, I checked everything on the flight back :)

Never ceases to amaze

[^_^x]

Wow. Sounds like something the "mark of the beast" alarmists would make up. So how long before you're denied any kind of basic service like travel, home ownership, car ownership, etc if you refuse to let them drill a hole in your skull and implant a brainwave monitor?

No... seriously. You're right to think that sounds absolutely insane, but what security news doesn't in the last 7 years? This kind of reckless Big Brotherism - no, McCarthyism makes me rage. We should work out some ways to stop arresting and punishing innocent people and THEN worry about finding more ways to incriminate them.

Re:I hate commercial flights

[Anonymous Coward]

Even if they made flights bearable the pseudo security theater that goes on just to get to the plane is enough to make you miserable.

I dread the return from a vacation, not so much because my vacation is over (I'm usually looking forward to being home again by then) but due to the knowledge that the miserable flight back will suck any positive feelings from my vacation right out of me. I'd pay more if it guaranteed me a comfortable seat with only other adults, clean conditins and permission to bring a bottle of water, etc. I'll add it to my list of pipe dreams.

Frankly, I think the people who **DON'T** look like they're about to kill someone are the ones you need to watch out for.

Isn't that the case with most serial killers?

Re:Right,

[SandwhichMaster]

I had the EXACT same thing happen to me a few months ago. Security freaked out about the sunblock, but let me on the plane with a big knife. Go figure.

This is crap no matter how you see it

[aepervius]

"I think it's perfectly reasonable that such a face cam could flag some terrorists, even if it doesn't flag them all. From that limited perspective, it's an effective tool. "

Due to cheer numbers, the false positive rate will generate more people than the positive identification rate, and that is not even counting the possible false negative rate. To give you an example let us say you have 99.99% effectiveness, that is 0.01% false positive. Out of 1 million pax, this is 100 pax. Now let us say you have a 10% false negative (guy trained to not sweat even knowing he will die) which is quite reasonable. If you have 10 terrorist out of 1 million pax, that means you will have 100 false negative, 9 correct, 1 false negative. And that is even really counted in FAVOR of this system. Knowing the number of pax transported by year, and the potential number of terrorist, I would dare say it is more like 100.000 false positive, 9 correct a false negative. In other word a UTTER money waste.

A use for those inflight magazines

[sean4u]

Last time I flew UK-Malaysia on Emirates, I enjoyed the flat panel screen in the headrest in front of me for a few hours, then turned it off to get some sleep. After a couple of hours stopover at Dubai, right when I should have been deepest asleep, we boarded another plane for the rest of the journey. The flat panels could be switched off, but were switched back on every ten minutes or so for advertisements. I tore the cover off the inflight magazine and shoved it into the gap between the screen and the headrest at the top, so that it hung completely over the screen. Bliss! On second thoughts, maybe this new system would interpret my actions as 'fabricating a device to interrupt aeroplane function'. Maybe it's not the right time to add this to instructables.com...