Technology / 01.13.21

Contactless Screening Steps Up at Sports Venues

Access Staff

VenuesNow (01/11/21) Muret, Don

Evolv Technology provided the artificial intelligence (AI)-driven contactless system tested at the Hard Rock Stadium during the College Football Playoff. Fans walked between six-foot-tall sensors without stopping, and the system produced an alert rate of 6% of items flagged, versus 20% to 25% with older systems in which bag checks are done outside of the detectors. The Evolv Express product features a series of alert settings to identify weapons and other potential threats, while the flexibility of the AI algorithms allows it to circumvent laptops, steel-toed boots, artificial limbs, belt buckles, and beer cans, which can hinder screenings with most walk-through systems. Mercedes-Benz Stadium has tested Evolv Express over the past two years, while stadium operator AMB Sports and Entertainment recently bought two units with plans to purchase more for use this year. Evolv Technology's detectors flag potential threats by an audio signal and a red light/green light system on the rear of the equipment. The sensors shoot a digital photo of the item with a box specifying the item's location on a person, and the image is sent to a tablet operated by security staff about 10 feet away to conduct a secondary screen to identify the item. "For the 2021 season, 90% to 95% of our fans coming in the stadium will go through Evolv Express," said AMB's Joe Coomer. "Our trust and belief in the through-put on the devices means we no longer have to have our gates open for two hours. We can knock that time down to 60 to 90 minutes."

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Tags: Sports , News , Venues , COVID-19 , Coronavirus