The Transportation Security Administration and Amtrak are testing new technology at Penn Station that can detect hidden explosives.
Sen. Charles Schumer pushed for the technology after a Bangladeshi immigrant set off a pipe bomb strapped to his chest inside a subway passage near Times Square in December.
It’s called passive screening technology, and experts say it can detect whether someone is wearing explosives, like a suicide vest.
Mobile units will be aimed at areas where mass transit passengers are funneled. The technology can detect when something blocks the natural emissions a body projects. The TSA says that an alert from the technology would prompt an officer to investigate further.
The technology isn’t officially on the market yet, but the TSA says it is working with vendors to make enhancements so that the systems are more user-friendly in public areas.
The TSA says several transit agencies are trying out the technology. It has also been tested at large events like the Super Bowl in New Jersey and the papal visit.
The TSA says that no radiation is emitted by the mobile units and no anatomical details are displayed on the screen.
The technology may be ready for purchase by the end of the year.