TSA Robots Are Set to Get You Through O'Hare's Lines at Record Speed

Chicago's the new testing ground for automated security tech that should eventually shrink TSA lines at airports across the country.

Gone will be the hideous pileups of bins full of sneakers and laptops. In their place will be O’Hare International Airport's new automated security screening lanes, which opened last week at Terminal 3 and which expect to reduce wait times by 30%, according to American Airlines. United Airlines will also open a redesigned TSA Precheck security checkpoint and three automated screening lanes in O'Hare's Terminal 1.

While the new lanes are not completely staffed by droids with all the jubilant humor of an R2-D2, they expedite trivial tasks like pushing just-used property bins back to the front of the line and diverting bags that need a closer inspection because you forgot to shut off your million-dollar vibrator. American has also fitted bins with electronic tags to make your stuff easier to track through X-ray machines, and the rollers have been automated as well, meaning you can't even pretend nudging along your Nikes and belt qualifies as a forearm workout anymore. Both United and American have increased the size of their security bins.

If these shorter lines are still too much for you, we'd recommend signing up for TSA Precheck, and these other ways to skip lines when you're flying home for the holidays.

It is unclear at this time whether the addition of the new lanes will give O'Hare a bump in the rankings for worst and best TSA security delays in America, but we'll be on the lookout.

H/T: Chicago Sun-Times

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Eric Vilas-Boas has waited in too many lines at the airport. Track his progress @e_vb_.