Universal Orlando Resort security is testing new Xtract One metal detectors with Team Members today.

Xtract One Metal Detectors at Universal Orlando Resort

The new metal detectors are set up at the Team Member security entrance in the Universal Orlando Resort parking garages. Many security and management Team Members were on site, and members of the security team were walking through the two columns to test the system. Guests were not being sent through the new scanners.

The set of detectors appears to be Xtract One’s SmartGateway or SafeGateway. The two are similar to each other and use AI to scan for weapons and other prohibited items. Here is the description of SmartGateway from Xtract One’s website:

SmartGateway delivers fast, reliable, and accurate patron screening for high throughput venues, replacing intimidating metal detectors. This solution unobtrusively scans patrons for guns, knives, and other prohibited items as they enter your facility, using AI-powered sensors to detect threats without invading the sense of privacy and comfort of your patrons. The system is ideal for stadiums and other ticketed venues that need to get thousands of people in quickly, safely, and in alignment with security standards requirements.

A SmartGateway lane can screen up to 2,400 guests per hour. They are “equipped with integrated traffic flow pacing features including customizable displays, traffic lights and audio signals” and reduce time spent in security lines 2-7 times.

SmartGateway has information displays on the columns, while SafeGateway sends information to an external kiosk.

Back in December 2020, Universal Orlando Resort tested Evolv contactless security scanners with Team Members, but these were never permanently installed at the resort. In June 2021, they tested CEIA OpenGate scanners with guests, but again, these scanners weren’t put into permanent use.

Xtract One’s scanners appear similar to the Evolv and CEIA contactless scanners, so guests theoretically won’t need to stop or put their bags down when walking through. Guests with large metal objects like umbrellas may need to hold them out in front of them as they walk through the scanners. If a guest sets off the scanner, they would then be pulled aside for a bag inspection or scanned with a handheld metal detector.

Evolv security scanners are now widely used at Walt Disney World Resort, including at theme parks and Disney Springs.

What do you think of Xtract One metal detectors potentially being used at Universal Orlando Resort? Let us know in the comments.

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