Dubai airport to replace immigration counters with ‘face-scanning fish’

Sea change at Dubai airport security as virtual aquarium tunnel replaces counter and queues https://t.co/X778PCaD1z pic.twitter.com/fxxRu7A5lK

— The National (@TheNationalUAE) October 8, 2017

Dubai has been home to some of the most innovative yet quirky technologies over the years, and its latest one might just be the best yet.

Instead of the typical immigration counters that are a standard feature in air terminals all over the world, the Dubai International Airport will replace them with “virtual fish,” which will verify passengers’ identities.

According to The Independent, travelers will now be made to walk in a “virtual aquarium tunnel” equipped with 80 hidden cameras that produce high-quality images.

Passengers will, thus, no longer endure long lines in security kiosks or e-gates, as a simple stroll inside the tunnel will allow their identities to be verified.

“The fish is a sort of entertainment and something new for the traveler but, at the end of the day, it attracts the vision of the travelers to different corners in the tunnel for the cameras to capture his/her face print,” Major Gen Obaid Al Hameeri, deputy director general of Dubai residency and foreign affairs, said in a statement.

As passengers reach the end of the path, a state-of-the-art biometrics system will be matched to their digital profile.

A green light icon, together with a message saying “Have a nice trip,” will appear for those who pass the test, while a red alert will flash for those need to undergo further security checks, the report said.

“And throughout the tunnel, the passenger does not feel anything, they pass through normally,” Major Gen Al Hameeri said.

The world’s first “biometric borders,” meanwhile, will enter a beta phase late next year at Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3, while the technology is expected to be used in all terminals by 2020.

Travelers must also first go through 3D face-scanning kiosks scattered across the airport and pre-register before going through the tunnels.  Khristian Ibarrola /ra