Fuzzy inference system for the efficiency assessment of hold baggage security control at the airport

One of the factors determining the aviation safety and security is the baggage security control system. It constitutes protection against placing objects and materials that could be used to perform an act of unlawful interference on board of an aircraft. The aim of this work was to create a model for assessment of airport baggage security control efficiency understood as the capability of detecting items prohibited in transport. Especially the human factor and the technical factor had to be taken into account collectively in the assessment of efficiency. Including many subjective factors such as operator's assessment, tendency to make mistakes and the control process organisation method required using means adequate to the present informational uncertainty. In this case a hierarchical fuzzy inference system was used and it was implemented as the RBES computer system. Its important element is the completely new method of assessing the actual detectability of the prohibited items. The method is based on the analysis of the frequency of mistakes (called type A mistakes) consisting in not indicating a baggage, in which the screened image showed a prohibited item, as dangerous. The equally important element is including a few possible control process organisation options, so far not mentioned in the literature, in the analysis. The experiments on the model allowed to assess the baggage security control efficiency in real conditions and indicate the right control process organisation option.