Dubai airport to use ‘face-scanning fish’

Dubai is 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 in air terminals, Dubai International Airport will replace them with “virtual fish,” which will verify passengers’ identities.

Travelers will be made to walk in a “virtual aquarium tunnel” equipped with 80 hidden cameras that produce high-quality images.

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. The cameras capture the travelers’ face print,” according to Major General Obaid Al Hameeri, deputy director general of Dubai residency and foreign affairs.

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,” Maj. Gen. Al Hameeri said.

The world’s first “biometric borders” 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.