Airport security programs a summer priority.

• Position: Security beat: homeland defense briefs

A senior Transportation Security Administration official outlined a slew of test programs for this summer, intended to protect airports using biometrics technologies.

The pilot programs and operational tests reflect a desire to use eye, face and hand recognition systems in securing all facets of an airport, said Rick Lazarick of the TSA's security laboratory. "Congress seems to be turning up the wick on biometrics," he told a recent National Defense Industrial Association conference.

Many projects are meant to expose systems to real-world conditions to evaluate their effectiveness. Some of the programs provide identification screens on airport employees, while other programs seek to ease security on regular travelers.

The Airport Access Pilot program is putting five technologies to the test, including finger printing, voice pattern and facial recognition systems. The optimum placement and types of surveillance systems also will be evaluated, as well as access control via next generation ID cards. The program will be in place at a handful of airports through the summer, lasting until 2005.

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