Optimising multi-layered security screening

Abstract Screening for prohibited items at airports is an example of a multi-layered screening process. Multiple layers – often comprising different technologies with complementary strengths and weaknesses are combined to create single The detection performance the overall system depends on multiple factors, including individual layers, complementarity decision rule(s) determining how outputs from combined. aim this work understand optimise Novel aspects include use realistic profiles alarm distributions based experimental observations focus influence correlation/orthogonality amongst screening. results show that cumulative architecture can outperform cascading one, yielding significant increase in system-level true positive rate only modest false rate. A process also more resilient layers. using approach maximised when positives orthogonal across correlated. process, other hand, both as possible. cost ignoring orthogonality between explored some numerical examples. underlying software model provided Jupyter Notebook supplementary material.