Baggage simulator

Software developed by researchers at Australia’s Deakin University is helping to improve airport security systems around the world.

The researchers’ software simulates the functionality of baggage-handling systems and can portray how a system at a typical airport would cope with upgrades to security systems, taking into account individual airport infrastructure and flight schedules.

Deakin’s Prof Saeid Nahavandi said: ‘[The software] allows us to run a simulation to see where bottlenecks would occur, therefore helping airports to plan for upgrades to security without creating huge problems with efficiency and delays to passengers.’

Many major international airports had already approached Deakin to run simulations so that they could perform security upgrades.

‘Some major international airports we have been working with wanted to put new screening security machines in and we assisted them by looking at how it affected overall airport systems,’ added Prof Nahavandi.

‘It helps airports plan to reduce costs and the risk of making mistakes in terms of productivity and security if they go ahead and make their planned changes,’  he said.