Security check

Researchers at Purdue University have used Bluetooth signals from mobile phones and other wireless devices to track how long it takes travellers to get through security lines at Indianapolis International airport.

The research could lead to systems that help reduce waits at airport security checkpoints, said Darcy Bullock, a professor of civil engineering at the university.

He said: 'This is the first time anyone has tracked Bluetooth signals to measure how long it takes travellers to get through security lines in the US. We expect the data can be used to help airports make more accurate staffing decisions and aid security officials comparing wait times at airports across the country.'

The wait-time estimation procedure detects and records 'media access control' identification signals, or addresses, each time a Bluetooth device passes a detector.

The researchers used two electronic readers – one at the beginning and one at the end of a security lobby – to record signals from portable devices carried by ticketed passengers.