Officers get faster visibility into concealed areas while reducing unnecessary invasive searches
At the threshold between safety and dignity, Athena Security has introduced a technology that reimagines the fraught moment after an alarm sounds — not as an invitation to intrusion, but as an opportunity for clarity. The Secondary Screening WDS uses imaging radar to peer through bags, footwear, and concealed spaces without ionizing radiation or invasive touch, positioning itself as a quiet mediator between institutional vigilance and human comfort. Unveiled this week by the Austin-based firm, the system speaks to a broader cultural negotiation underway in hospitals, schools, and public spaces: how much friction is acceptable in the name of safety, and who bears that cost.
- Security checkpoints have long forced an uncomfortable choice — accept slow, invasive manual searches or risk missing concealed threats entirely.
- The Secondary Screening WDS disrupts that binary by slipping into the gap after a primary alarm, letting officers review real-time radar imaging on an iPad rather than reaching into someone's bag.
- Hospitals and schools are the primary targets, environments where pat-downs and pocket-emptying create friction that erodes trust and slows the movement of patients, students, and staff.
- The system automatically logs outcomes for compliance, removing the paperwork burden that often makes thorough secondary screening feel operationally unsustainable.
- Athena is taking the technology on a 2026 industry tour, betting that live demonstrations will convert skeptical security directors faster than specifications alone.
Athena Security, an Austin-based AI-driven entry security company, has unveiled a secondary screening system that uses imaging radar to inspect bags, footwear, and lower-body areas without manual searches or ionizing radiation. The Secondary Screening WDS addresses a specific and persistent problem: the awkward operational pause that follows a primary checkpoint alarm, when security officers must decide how to investigate a flagged visitor without disrupting everyone else.
Positioned downstream from walkthrough detectors or X-ray scanners, the system allows officers to direct flagged individuals to its panels while the main entry line keeps moving. Live radar images appear on an iPad or monitor, revealing metallic objects, dense anomalies, and lower-leg concealment areas in real time. Visitors need not remove shoes or empty pockets, and officers can request repositioning or bag rotation to examine layered items from different angles.
Co-founder and CTO Chris Ciabarra noted that most security environments still rely on handheld wands and manual bag searches — methods that slow throughput, frustrate visitors, and frequently yield nothing. The new system draws its core radar architecture from Athena's existing Ambulance Bay Weapons Detection System, adapting proven sensing for the wider secondary screening context.
The company built the product with hospitals, K-12 schools, universities, stadiums, and corporate headquarters in mind — environments where robust security must coexist with a welcoming visitor experience. It integrates with Athena's broader ecosystem of walkthrough detectors, AI-assisted X-ray scanners, and visitor management software, and incorporates Department of Homeland Security-informed workflow guidance to standardize procedures across security teams.
Automatic compliance documentation eliminates manual record-keeping, and the entire secondary screening process is compressed from a lengthy room-clearing exercise into a matter of seconds. Co-founder and President Lisa Falzone described the philosophy as human-in-the-loop security: officers retain final judgment, but advanced sensing gives them better information faster. Athena plans to demonstrate the system at healthcare, education, and physical security events throughout 2026.
Athena Security, an Austin-based firm focused on AI-powered entry security, has introduced a new secondary screening system that uses imaging radar to inspect bags, footwear, and lower-body areas without requiring the invasive manual searches that have long defined security checkpoints. The Secondary Screening WDS, unveiled this week, represents a shift in how organizations think about the moment after an alarm sounds at a primary screening station—that awkward pause when a visitor gets flagged and security must decide what happens next.
The system works by positioning itself downstream from a primary checkpoint, such as a walkthrough weapons detector or X-ray baggage scanner. When someone triggers an alert, officers can direct them to the Secondary Screening WDS without halting the flow of people moving through the main entry. The visitor walks through or pauses between the system's panels while officers watch live imaging on an iPad or large monitor. If needed, security can ask someone to rotate a bag or adjust their position to capture different angles of dense or layered items. The radar generates real-time images showing metallic objects, dense anomalies, hidden footwear, and lower-leg concealment areas—all without ionizing radiation and without requiring someone to remove their shoes or empty their pockets.
Chris Ciabarra, the company's co-founder and chief technology officer, framed the problem the system solves: many security environments still depend on handheld wands, manual bag searches, or the tedious process of pulling every item out for inspection. Those methods slow throughput, frustrate visitors, and often catch nothing. The Secondary Screening WDS was built to give officers faster visibility into concealed spaces while cutting down on unnecessary invasive searches. The technology borrows its core architecture from Athena's existing Ambulance Bay Weapons Detection System, adapting proven radar sensing for the broader secondary screening use case.
The company designed the system with specific environments in mind: hospitals and healthcare facilities, K-12 schools and universities, stadiums, corporate headquarters, government buildings, and critical infrastructure sites. In hospitals and executive environments especially, the appeal is clear—organizations want robust security without the friction of pat-downs or the clinical feel of intensive screening. The system integrates with Athena's broader ecosystem, which includes walkthrough detectors, AI-assisted X-ray scanners, visitor management software, and alert glasses for officers. It also includes Department of Homeland Security-informed workflow guidance to standardize procedures and ensure consistency across different security teams.
The practical benefit is efficiency paired with thoroughness. Officers maintain situational awareness of the person being screened and the surrounding environment while reviewing imaging data. The system automatically documents outcomes for compliance reporting, eliminating the need for manual record-keeping. Throughput improves because secondary screening no longer means stopping the line or pulling someone into a separate room for a lengthy manual inspection. Instead, the process takes seconds, and the officer has visual confirmation of what is or isn't a threat.
Athena plans to demonstrate the Secondary Screening WDS at healthcare, education, and physical security industry events throughout 2026. The company is positioning this as part of a larger vision: human-in-the-loop security, where officers make the final decisions but advanced sensing and AI workflows give them better information faster. Lisa Falzone, the company's co-founder and president, described it as giving officers another tool to make faster and more informed decisions while keeping operations running smoothly. For organizations managing high-traffic entry points where both security and visitor experience matter, the system represents a concrete answer to a persistent operational tension.
Notable Quotes
Many security environments still rely heavily on manual searches, handheld wands, or pulling every item out of a bag. Secondary Screening WDS was designed to give officers faster visibility into concealed areas while improving operational flow and reducing unnecessary invasive searches.— Chris Ciabarra, Co-Founder and CTO of Athena Security
Our vision is human-in-the-loop security enhanced by advanced sensing technologies and AI-assisted workflows. Secondary Screening WDS gives officers another tool to make faster and more informed security decisions while maintaining operational efficiency.— Lisa Falzone, Co-Founder and President of Athena Security
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does secondary screening need its own dedicated system? Can't primary screening just catch everything?
Primary screening is designed to flag potential threats, but it doesn't always tell you what you're looking at. A dense bag might trigger an alert, but the officer doesn't know if it contains a weapon or just a laptop and textbooks. Secondary screening is where you resolve that ambiguity without tearing someone's belongings apart.
So this is really about speed and dignity—getting the answer faster without humiliating the person being screened?
Exactly. A manual bag search takes time and frustrates everyone. This gives officers a clear visual in seconds. The person walks through or stands still briefly. No shoe removal, no emptying pockets. The officer sees what's actually in the bag or on the person.
What makes imaging radar better than, say, a handheld metal detector or a secondary X-ray?
A handheld wand only detects metal and requires the officer to physically scan the person. A secondary X-ray adds radiation exposure and more equipment. Imaging radar sees through dense materials without ionizing radiation, and it works on people, bags, and footwear all at once. It's faster and less invasive.
Who really benefits most from this—the security officer or the person being screened?
Both, but differently. The officer gets better information and makes decisions faster. The visitor gets through security without the indignity of a manual search. In hospitals and schools, that matters. You want people to feel safe, not harassed.
Is there a privacy concern with real-time imaging of people's belongings and lower legs?
The system is designed to show what's inside bags and on the person—not to identify individuals or create a permanent record of their appearance. It's similar to what X-ray screening does, but without radiation and with better real-time visibility. The compliance documentation is about the screening outcome, not the person.
What happens if the imaging radar flags something but the officer isn't sure what it is?
That's where the human-in-the-loop part matters. The officer can ask the person to rotate the bag, adjust their position, or provide context. The system gives better information, but the officer still makes the call. If something looks genuinely suspicious, they can escalate to a more thorough search or law enforcement.