Jay Nunamaker: From Lab to Field: The Evolution of the AVATAR for Credibility Assessment

Duration: 18 mins 43 secs

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Created:	2015-09-28 16:22
Collection:	Decepticon 2015
Publisher:	University of Cambridge
Copyright:	Dr S. Van der Zee
Language:	eng (English)
Keywords:	Deception; Border control;


Abstract:	Every day, millions of people cross international borders at air, land and sea ports of entry, with steady growth projected. This constant stream of passengers brings never-ending challenges to border agencies. Officers must screen all travelers while ensuring the flow of legitimate travel and trade, yet there is no surefire method (“Pinocchio’s nose”) to detect imposters, false documents, or contraband. If not based on relevant facts, an officer’s assessment of an individual may be inaccurate, arbitrary, ineffective, or discriminatory (“gut feeling”). A “one-size-fits-all” screening approach would create long queues, inconvenience, and high costs. Alternatively, scaled-down checks may permit entry to dangerous persons. A risk-segmentation approach, such as a trusted traveler program, affords expedited entry to low-risk individuals. Although these programs are becoming more popular, many who may qualify do not enroll due to fees, lack of knowledge, or infrequent travel schedules. The Automated Virtual Agent for Truth Assessment in Real-time (AVATAR) is designed to address these limitations. It conducts primary and secondary screenings using an array of non-invasive sensors to assess credibility, and verify identity and documents while ensuring individual privacy. These data are fused and analyzed to provide officers with a real-time risk score to determine if further investigation is warranted. The AVATAR acts as a “force multiplier,” reducing officer workload while identifying potential threats and providing risk assessments. This paper describes the evolution of the AVATAR system from the laboratory to the field, including scientific foundation, experiments and pilot. These include two U.S. field tests: Trusted Traveler Program in Nogales, Arizona and Airport Pre-boarding Primary and Secondary Screening at Reagan Airport, Washington DC. It also discusses several workshops and experiments conducted with Frontex, the European Union border security agency, culminating in a field test at Henri Coandă International Airport Passport Control in Bucharest, Romania.

Abstract:

Every day, millions of people cross international borders at air, land and sea ports of entry, with steady growth projected. This constant stream of passengers brings never-ending challenges to border agencies. Officers must screen all travelers while ensuring the flow of legitimate travel and trade, yet there is no surefire method (“Pinocchio’s nose”) to detect imposters, false documents, or contraband. If not based on relevant facts, an officer’s assessment of an individual may be inaccurate, arbitrary, ineffective, or discriminatory (“gut feeling”). A “one-size-fits-all” screening approach would create long queues, inconvenience, and high costs. Alternatively, scaled-down checks may permit entry to dangerous persons. A risk-segmentation approach, such as a trusted traveler program, affords expedited entry to low-risk individuals. Although these programs are becoming more popular, many who may qualify do not enroll due to fees, lack of knowledge, or infrequent travel schedules. The Automated Virtual Agent for Truth Assessment in Real-time (AVATAR) is designed to address these limitations. It conducts primary and secondary screenings using an array of non-invasive sensors to assess credibility, and verify identity and documents while ensuring individual privacy. These data are fused and analyzed to provide officers with a real-time risk score to determine if further investigation is warranted. The AVATAR acts as a “force multiplier,” reducing officer workload while identifying potential threats and providing risk assessments. This paper describes the evolution of the AVATAR system from the laboratory to the field, including scientific foundation, experiments and pilot. These include two U.S. field tests: Trusted Traveler Program in Nogales, Arizona and Airport Pre-boarding Primary and Secondary Screening at Reagan Airport, Washington DC. It also discusses several workshops and experiments conducted with Frontex, the European Union border security agency, culminating in a field test at Henri Coandă International Airport Passport
Control in Bucharest, Romania.

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