We describe the regulatory hurdles and potential for biometric technology firms that help travelers have a more seamless experience.

A Seamless Travel Journey 

The concept of a seamless traveler journey had been making considerable development before the Covid-19 pandemic.

 It will enhance the traveler experience by offering a smooth but secure end-to-end trip while also reducing inefficiencies in the travel and tourism supply chain. 

Instead of producing documentation at many stages of their journey, such as when buying flights, hotels, checking-in, passing security and crossing borders, boarding the airline, etc., travelers would simply have to validate their identification and booking details once.

By its very nature, travel necessitates contact for the processing, from making reservations to check-in, security, customs, and immigration. 

According to a poll conducted in February 2020, more than 55 percent of travelers deemed the process of air travel to be even more stressful than work, including booking, traveling to the airport, and boarding. 

These processes have not been made any easier by the Covid-19 problem. However, the pandemic has demonstrated that facilitating a seamless traveler journey, rather than simply assuring a hassle-free journey for travelers, is a matter of need for the future.

Covid-19 has compelled the travel industry to employ technology such as biometrics, artificial intelligence, and digital identity management in order to provide contactless services such as self-check-in, drop-off, and automated identification verification.

Now, with the emerging of the pandemic, contactless technologies have emerged as a vital technology for early detection, patient screening, and public safety monitoring.

Challenges and Opportunities In Regulatory Matters

At least 15 European countries experimented with biometric technologies, including facial recognition in public settings as of May 2020.

The disputed General Data Protection Regulation, which establishes data protection rules, is the primary legislative act when it comes to the usage of biometric data.

Although processing biometric data is not legally prohibited, the Member States retain the authority to adopt, modify, or create more specific national legislation and ensure their enforcement. 

In other words, by artificially separating different types of biometric data, the General Data Protection Regulation does not provide explicit regulations but rather principles enabling the Member States to take a subjective and use-based approach.

You can see this as yet another situation in which technology advances faster than regulations, as legislators are still establishing the rules.

The Commission has initiated a debate on how to deal with biometric technologies within the White Paper on Artificial Intelligence because the General Data Protection Regulation framework does not provide enough clarity for data protection when it comes to these technologies.

The EU’s executive arm contemplated imposing a five-year ban on the use of facial recognition technologies in public settings earlier this year while it reviewed ways to prevent their misuse. Soon later, the Commission reversed course and stated its intention to submit legislation to regulate AI.

However, as previously stated, the dangers to the AI business could be significant if the Commission rules too quickly and makes mistakes. 

Member states may agree since thirteen countries have signed a Danish initiative warning against over-regulating artificial intelligence technology, arguing that overburdening strict legislation could stifle the European AI industry’s progress.

The Commission’s work schedule for 2021 no longer includes an endeavor to regulate AI. This might provide the sector some breathing room in Europe while also buying time to participate more deeply and impact the decision-making processes of EU institutions debating how to govern AI and, implicitly, biometric technologies.

However, the Commission believes that biometric technologies are high-risk applications and that they need a set of stricter laws and standards.

Companies may be required to bear the burden of proof in demonstrating compliance with EU safety standards and use sufficiently representative data sets and keep records of the programming, training methodologies, processes, and techniques utilized to build, test, and validate AI systems.

Members of the European Parliament warn that biometrics poses severe risks and interferences with the rights to what is privacy and data protection in the Digital Services Act Report and demand that the European Commission provide customers the opportunity to opt-out and alternatives to using biometric data.

Following intense political pressure, the EU’s executive arm acknowledged that a proper debate on how to deal with these technologies is required, 

Although there is still a long way to go before a coherent solution to ensuring biometric data privacy and data exchange to support a seamless traveler journey is developed, the debate at the EU level on artificial intelligence regulation is one that the travel technology industry should not overlook.

Novus is collaborating with airports to establish long-term strategies that address the root causes of today’s aviation difficulties, prepare for the future and assist them in realizing their goals.

Of course, when considering the “strongest combat vehicle,” everyone’s thoughts immediately turn to tank-like fortresses capable of annihilating one’s adversaries from every direction. But this isn’t always the case, and in this list, you will see why.

It’s no wonder that today’s military vehicles are better than yesterday’s, thanks to all the money spent on defense-related research and growth. So let’s see five of the most badass land vehicles out there:

1- ACV-15

The Armoured Combat Vehicle (ACV) is a tracked, diesel-powered, heavily armored platform in the 13-15 ton class capable of performing combined arms operations alongside main battle tanks.

The platform’s architecture allows for the integration of various subsystems to perform several tasks. 

This land vehicle is a full-tracked (with 5 road wheels), a lightweight, low-profile armored vehicle capable of high-speed operations in desert conditions, roads, and/or highways with limited infrastructure.

The vehicle is propelled and driven on land by the movement of the tracks. 

To comply with all ballistic specifications, plate thickness varies on different planes of the hull. FNSS designed over 2,500 of this combat vehicle for the Turkish Land Forces and other customers around the world.

2- ACV-15 Fire Power and Survivability Modernisation

Things like survivability, situational awareness, firepower, and versatility are all goals of this vehicle’s modernization packages. 

Prioritization of mine and ballistic security levels, mine-resistant seats, protection lining applications, dual-stage automatic fire extinguishing and suppression systems, an NBC system, crew air conditioning, and the RPG protection network have all been prioritized for survivability.

Near distance situational awareness systems, acoustic gunshot range detection systems, and laser warning system systems are being tested to improve situational awareness in conjunction with today’s threats. 

Improvements are being made to the Remote-Control Gun System in terms of firepower. Plus, significant upgrades to the undercarriage and power pack are expected to increase vehicle mobility.

3- ACV-19

The ACV-19 is the generic name for a class of new, high-performance vehicles originating from the very popular ACV. 

Their size ranges from 15 to 19 tons. These land vehicles have been tested by a variety of armies around the world. 

A stretched hull (6 road whexels), hard duty final drives, and more aggressive suspension are the primary distinctions between this one and the ACV-15.

This land vehicle has more volume under its armor and can carry more payload than others. As a result, the ACV-19 chassis will carry heavier loads, such as larger turrets, without sacrificing the ACV-15’s mobility. 

The ACV-19 chassis is equipped with a one-of-a-kind, space-laminated armor system that combines steel and aluminum technology to provide high-level armor protection against direct KE threats and mine protection.

4- ACV AD

Compared to the ACV-15 and ACV-19, the ACV AD Platform has improved power pack stability and suspension capability. Thanks to this function, the land vehicle can now accommodate heavier payloads, such as heavy air defense platforms. 

Ballistic and mine defense are also provided by the ACV AD Platform. The vehicle’s configuration may be modified to meet the user’s operating requirements.

In terms of command-and-control, large-scale mobile radar systems, artillery fire support, and pedestal-mounted artillery and missile systems, the ACV AD is an ideal vehicle. 

The Turkish Armed Forces chose the platform as an Air Defense System platform for the KORKUT and HISAR ventures. 

The KORKUT Project’s Weapon System Vehicle and Command-and-Control Vehicle configurations are entirely amphibious and capable of propelling themselves across deep and/or quick-moving water.

5- ALTAY

The ALTAY Main Battle Tank Serial Production Program includes development, prototype manufacturing, testing, and serial production of T1 and T2 configurations. It was speacifically created to meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s modern battlefields. 

It began on November 9th, 2018, with the signing of the TANK ALTAY Serial Production Agreement between the Presidency of Defence Industries and BMC.

BMC, as the program’s main contractor, will build 250 ALTAY Main Battle Tanks and supply them to the Turkish Armed Forces according to the agreed-upon timetable.

Approximately 200 subcontractors, the majority of whom are local, will be involved in the project, including ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, MKEK, and HAVELSAN.

ALTAY will be manufactured in two configurations, T1 and T2, based on the future needs of the Turkish Armed Forces. 

It has the highest degree of maneuverability, survivability, and firepower per the current defense model. ALTAY T3, or “ALTAY with unmanned turret,” will also be developed as part of the project.

You may want to see what we have in store for you now that you’ve seen some of the best military land vehicles available. Take a look at the land platforms section of our website to see what Novus has to offer you.

Their main objective is to reduce the passenger’s risk of being in a dangerous situation and make their trips an enjoyable experience while shortening their respective airlines’ waiting times.

There are many ways of arriving at an airport and avoiding the hassle of long lines. By learning your way through useful airport techniques, you will undoubtedly help yourself get through unbearable and time-consuming lines. 

Thankfully, throughout the holiday festivities, there will be numerous programs that can and will speed up the entry lanes in national and international destinations worldwide; with the help of mobile passport applications, travelers can get through airlines much quicker with the tap of a button. 

With the holiday festivities just around the corner, airport lines will get bigger but safer with implementing safety measures like PPE (personal protective equipment). But the headaches that come with flying will continue as they usually do; that part of the process is inevitable.

Has The Increase In U.S. Airport Security made Passengers Safer?

American Airlines spend millions of dollars on homeland security and much more for airport security and equipment, but many speculate whether those safety measures help make flights safer. 

Some security aspects may seem invasive for some, like body scanners or metal detectors; complaints vary from passenger to passenger, but more significant security measures may be on the horizon to provide a better experience for the passengers.

So the question remains whether or not airport security truly makes airports safer? Well, for starters, the use of the following security equipment will continue appearing in airports:

• Explosive trace-detection portal machines
• X-ray machines
• Metal detectors
• Millimeter-wave scanners
• Other traditional methods of security like physical inspections

One of the most useful airport security implementations is facial recognition; this technology is one of the measuring sticks for airport security. They try to consistently provide better protection and prevent terrorists from boarding flights even before making it to the security checkpoint. 

Are you thinking about traveling during these times? We’re confident that our partnered airlines are going out of their way to ensure that all passengers, no matter where they are flying to, have a safe trip.

It isn’t impossible to travel during these uncertain times; however, to ensure that all passengers have safe travels, all travelers are reminded to follow all CDC (Centers for disease control) travel guidance points. 

These points can be referenced, and you can also find more information directly on the airline’s website of your choosing. Airlines recommend maintaining social distancing at all times before boarding and after boarding the plane. 

Passengers must wear face masks throughout the trip, and if you or anyone you see does not have one available, there will be staff at the airport and even on the plane that will be able to provide you with a face mask and other amenities. 

Ensuring that everyone is safe during every flight is the staff’s priority both on the plane and inside the airport facilities, checkpoints, and terminals. The airline’s team also provides hand sanitizer aboard the plane and airport if water and soap are not readily available or within close reach. 

Screening before the time of your flight is also crucial to keeping the experience of flying safe and of low risk. This is part of the reason why airlines are recommended to follow safety measures.

 Why Do I Always Get Checked At Airport Security?

Airport security is and will always be a part of air travel; that is why you should always opt for arriving early at the airport. Even if it may seem impossible to reach the front of the security check line, you will make it with the agents and personnel’s guidance. 

Airport personnel must always verify the passenger’s luggage and confirm nothing can disrupt the other passengers on the plane. It may be easy to think that you might miss your flight because of it, but without airport security, criminals or people that are up to no good would most likely have an open window for unimaginable acts. 

This task might seem frustrating at first, even not trying to think about the lines you might have to wait in is much more bearable than you expect; when you learn a couple of tips and tricks, we will provide you with the following:

• By checking the airport’s website, you can verify what items the airport might consider troublesome and what appliances or devices they allow on the flight.
• Choosing the time and date may also drastically reduce the waiting times by avoiding peak hours where the lines may be endless and try choosing flights either in the afternoon or at night. For some mysterious reason, airports seem to be at their peak capacity during the morning and evening. Booking flights in the middle of the afternoon may be much more convenient. 
• Preparing in advance can become a lifesaver; preparing your boarding pass and ID before waiting in line can save a lot of time. 

Other things to look out for when going through security are:

• Remove your jackets, belts, hats, shoes, or anything that may make it harder for the airport personnel to verify you.
• Try limiting the number of gels, lotions, liquids, beverages, aerosols to three ounces or less, and make sure you place them in a transparent or clear bag.
• It would be best if you also tried placing electronic devices like laptops out of your bags and put them in a separate container. 
• Items that the airport might prohibit, like knives, silverware, or other objects, including drugs or matches, are not allowed. 

These safety rules will continuously evolve so passengers can expect an increment of scanners and pat-downs.