The latest Homeland Security-funded project dubbed the Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST) is taking another approach to detecting security risks, this time not by asking millions of questions and delaying a person for an indefinite amount of time. Funny enough, it seems like Nintendo was unaware that their Wii board can be used for security reasons as well.

Robert Burns, the project manager added how there's a large field of research that ties your physical reactions to your mental state [Who'd have thought? sub.ed.] and that they will use devices to detect these and ascertain whether a person might pose a security risk.

The government plans to use an array of commercially widely available devices/sensors to detect subtle physiological signs, which should when combined indicate whether the person has intent to do harm. The signs currently include heart rate, breathing, eye movement, body temperature and fidgeting, which is where the Wii apparently comes in. The scientists have altered the Wii Board to show how people shift their weight, and commenced studies on whether certain levels of fidgeting would require a secondary screening.

Strangely enough, bout $20 million has been invested in development of this "technology" although only one of these sensors is not commercially available. The rest of the devices range from eye trackers (follow a person's gaze, check for excessive blinking and measure pupil dilation) to heart and respiratory rate measurement devices. [Isn't it faster and cheaper to just put a .45 up against their forehead? sub.ed.]

More here.