The article gives you details of the walk through metal detectors, how they work where they are used and what improvements have taken place over the years in the walk through metal detectors.

Personal Security - through Metal Detectors

The walks through metal detectors are used at many places including airports. These metal detectors also are used as temporary security for visiting dignitaries through which all visitors have to pass. The walks through metal detectors are also placed at many departmental stores but the placement is so done that it is unobtrusive. These walk through metal detectors at the departmental stores are observed by the security staff closely and security can operate unobtrusively

Technology of Walk through Metal Detectors

The walk-through metal detector looks innocuous but do not be fooled by the looks. The metal detectors employ high technology and can scan a person completely as he/she walks through and look for any metallic objects on person. The hidden metal pieces do not remain hidden from the keen eyes of this device.

Description of a Good Metal Detector

The pillars of the walk through metal detector has scanners 6 major portion of the human body passing through. As the person passes through the gate, he/she is scanned in 6 zones. The zones that are scanned are Zone 1 Feet, Zone 2 Knees, Zone 3 Waist Zone 4 Chest, Zone 5 Shoulders and Zone 6 Head. This means that you are scanned from tip to toe and back quickly. Each zone is also scanned from 3 angles so that if you are carrying any weapon, you will immediately be caught. Since the metal detection is done in 18 zones, (3 vertical and horizontal) complete scanning takes place quickly.

Changes in technology for walk through metal detectors

In 2001 an airplane passenger Richard Reid could get the entry into a plane carrying a gun in his shoes. The very thought that a person can do such a thing sent shivers through the entire security industry. Since this happened immediately after 9/11 when the security all over the world was on high alert and still the passenger could walk through it was taken very seriously

As a result of this, the area near the feet was put under the deep scanner. Persons were required to remove their shoes, and although this was not required by the law, the security persons get it done by some other means fair or otherwise.
The area around the feet was susceptible as the floor in each case had reinforcement bars made of metal and this area posed the problem in the design. The sensitivity is required to be low in the upper portions of body to prevent false alarms because of keys and coins in pocket and high on the portion around the feet to cater to the reinforcement bars in the floor. This was not possible in a single zone walk through metal detector. By changing to 6 zone detector, the problem could be solved easily. Thus the technology improvements are still on in the area of the walk through metal detectors.

Futuristic Walk through Metal Detector

A futuristic walk through metal detector will have a wide gate, which can allow 6 to 7 persons abreast and each person can be searched for weapons and be quickly be identified. This will be welcome at shopping malls where persons do not like to be searched and still require it to be safe. The technology may be difficult and costly but the superstores that have a huge turnover and welcome al shoppers with open arms will welcome such an idea.