Virtual Reality to Help TSA Keep Inauguration Safe
Joe Cortez January 19, 2017
Digital documentation of airports and transit stations helps guide decisions in moments of crisis.
A bomb explodes at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE). Immediately, first-responders are on the scene, directing terrified and confused passengers away from the chaos. Meanwhile, law enforcement is securing the perimeter and ensuring that another explosion won’t take place.
The scenario above is not real, but can be simulated using a high-tech system built for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The Washington Post reports the tool, named Intermodal Virtual Imaging Enhancement Workshop (IVIEW), will have a new application as a virtual response tool for the 2017 Presidential Inauguration.
The tool was originally used by the TSA in 2011 to capture and understand how to respond in the event of an emergency at an airport. The tool has since been expanded to additional travel terminals, including mass-transit and railroad stations. The IVIEW system captures thousands of images of airports, detailing everything within a building, to create a virtual version of the terminal. From there, agencies can create training simulations that allow them to prepare to respond in the event of any situation.
This week, IVIEW is being used to capture all parts of the National Mall, allowing first-responders to get a complete view of everything happening in the event of an emergency. Through this training tool, police and firefighters can work hand-in-hand to keep the public safe and minimize collateral damage to both life and property.
The TSA will not be limited to a technological role in protecting the new President during the Inauguration weekend. As with previous Inauguration events, the TSA and their agents will also be in charge of screening individuals and items entering at certain events.
