Imagine going through airport security without pulling out your laptop, liquids, or cables — you just drop your bag in a smart trolley and walk through. That's what this project built: a next-generation X-ray scanner that sees everything inside your luggage using multiple energy levels, like having superhero vision instead of a basic flashlight. It automatically flags suspicious items so security staff only check what actually matters. The result? Lines move four times faster and airports save serious money on staffing.
Airport security screening has become a massive bottleneck. Since post-2003 regulations forced passengers to unpack liquids and electronics, throughput has dropped from 350 to 150 passengers per hour. Airports are caught between growing passenger demand and tightening security requirements, spending EUR 5 per passenger on screening while queues grow longer and traveler satisfaction drops.
The project built a revised prototype of a multi-spectral CT luggage scanner with an intelligent trolley system. Passengers place their entire bag — unpacked — into the trolley, which is then scanned using multi-energy X-ray detectors. The revised prototype incorporated upgraded detectors, new data analysis algorithms, and reduced power consumption, and completed laboratory and factory testing.
If you are an airport operator struggling with growing passenger volumes and long security queues — this project developed a CT-based luggage scanner that increases throughput from 150 to 600 passengers per hour. Passengers no longer need to unpack bags, which eliminates the biggest bottleneck. The system requires 35% fewer operators and cuts scanning cost from EUR 5 to EUR 2.8 per passenger.
If you are a security equipment supplier looking for next-generation screening technology — this project built a multi-spectral, multi-view CT scanner that meets EDSCB C3 performance requirements for hand luggage. It improves surface efficiency by 362%, meaning airports can screen more passengers in less space. The revised prototype has completed laboratory and factory testing.
If you are a ground handling company under pressure to reduce checkpoint staffing costs while meeting stricter security mandates — this scanner solution reduces the number of operators needed by 35%. The intelligent trolley system automates the screening process, with only flagged items requiring manual checks. Annual cost savings are projected at EUR 55,000,000 across adoption.
The project data does not include the purchase price of the scanner unit itself. However, the operational cost drops significantly: scanning cost per passenger falls from EUR 5 to EUR 2.8, and the system needs 35% fewer operators. Combined, this translates to projected savings of EUR 55,000,000 per year at scale.
Yes, the system was designed specifically for high-throughput environments. It increases passenger screening from 150 to 600 per hour — a 4x improvement. Surface efficiency (passengers screened per square meter) improves by 362%, which is critical for space-constrained airports.
The project was led by Danmarks Tekniske Universitet with 3 industry partners including 2 SMEs. As an Innovation Action under Fast Track to Innovation, the consortium retains IP. Licensing or purchase arrangements would need to be negotiated directly with the consortium partners.
The scanner was designed to comply with EDSCB C3 performance requirements for hand luggage scanners, which is the relevant European standard for cabin baggage screening. The revised prototype underwent laboratory and factory testing to verify compliance.
The project ran from 2019 to 2022 and completed a revised prototype with laboratory and factory testing. The objective explicitly mentions preparation for commercialisation. Based on available project data, the technology is at an advanced demonstration stage but may still require certification and final productisation steps.
The system uses a dedicated intelligent trolley that passengers load their bags into — the entire trolley is scanned. This means it would likely require checkpoint reconfiguration rather than a drop-in replacement. Suspicious items are automatically flagged for security personnel through integrated data analysis algorithms.
The 4-partner consortium across Denmark, France, and the Netherlands is heavily industry-driven at 75% industry participation with 2 SMEs. Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU) provides the academic research backbone, while the 3 industry partners bring manufacturing, detector technology, and commercialisation capabilities. This is a compact, execution-focused team — typical of Fast Track to Innovation projects that aim to bring a near-ready product to market rather than conduct basic research. The presence of SME partners suggests the technology could reach market through agile companies rather than waiting for large defence contractors to adopt it.
The coordinator is Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU) in Denmark. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the project team.
Want to explore deploying this scanner technology at your airport or integrating it into your security product line? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the project consortium — contact us for a warm introduction.
