Alistair Hardaker | Image: An initial concept design for the British Museum's new pavilion © Studio Weave
British Museum to deploy the system across all entrances after testing showed threefold speed improvement over previous screening methods.
The British Museum is set to use AI-powered security at its entrance gates, after completing on-site testing.
Xtract One Technologies says its AI-powered weapons detection system was chosen by the museum after tests showed detection performance and processing speeds up to three times faster than the museum’s previous screening methods.
The Canadian company claims its peak throughput reached approximately 750 people per 15-minute interval per lane.
It said its SmartGateway system uses AI-powered multi-sensor technology to identify weapons and prohibited items without requiring guests to stop or remove personal belongings.
“Protecting a site of this size and significance demands proven efficacy and operational flexibility,” said Jack Bennett, head of operations at the British Museum.
“We were impressed with how SmartGateway demonstrated unrestrained portability and outperformed our previous screening methods, and other tested solutions, threefold during rigorous testing.
“This flexibility will be integral in our operational efforts to address changing conditions and security needs. The combination of effectiveness, speed, and adaptability made SmartGateway the right choice for our venue.”
The testing comes ahead of what the museum expects to be its biggest year, fueled by its highly anticipated exhibition ‘The Bayeux Tapestry’, which will open in early September.
Museum chair of trustees George Osborne said the exhibition is expected to create a total of 7.5m visits, approximately 1.5m more than previous years.
Designs for new security pavilions at the British Museum’s entrances were revealed late last year, which could replace its current temporary tents, erected for manual security screening.
The design, by Studio Weave, was criticised by heritage groups. The Georgian Group said the pavilions would cause “an unacceptable level of harm to this internationally important site.”
The Victorian Society criticised the pavilion designs as resembling a “shop and wine bar”.
