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A couple of days ago we reported that US airports may soon utilise the Wii balance board possibly for security purposes.
Speaking to IncGamers, a senior advisor to the Department of Homeland Security from the White House has said that although tests are being undertaken, no airport in the US currently using the balance board.
"We are testing the balance board as part of a suite of technology being utilised for FAST (Future Attribute Screening Technology)," said Amy Kudwa.
"This is just one of the things we're trailing and is just a prototype at the moment out of a range of ideas we have," Kudwa went on to say.
The technology will not only help security forces to determine things like a person's centre of gravity, it will also streamline the way people are assessed by their actions. Everything from eye movement, to heart rate and general movement will be monitored.
When asked if the technology had to undergo heavy modifications in order for it to pass the tests, Kudwa said the hardware itself is still unmodified, but it will be the software that will be crucial, and that there may have to be "a different configuration" for the balance board if it is successful in trials.
This isn't the first time Homeland Security has utilised and embraced technology from the private sector to improve security measures and, according to Kudwa, a lot more technologies from different sectors, including health and even animal welfare, have been commissioned to deal with the threat of terrorism post-9/11.
"Most of the scanners in airports are modified MRI scanning machines, while the bowls used to put keys and other items from your pockets are actually dog bowls," we were told.
We also asked if national security would look further into the private sector for ideas and technology, thus saving tax payers huge amounts of money by taking advantage of existing tech.
"There are a whole load of ideas coming from the private sector and we cultivate that technology for exactly that reason."
When asked whether or not Nintendo is aware of the testing and if the US government will need to license the tech in order to implement changes to it, Kudwa stressed that the scheme is still in its infancy.
"Because we're only in the prototype stages, and we don't know how this consumer peripheral will deal with the volume of people we expect to see, it's something we're just testing."
We know this has been met with opposing views, however if it's something that will help maintain the security of a country, can it really be a bad thing? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
We've contacted Nintendo for comment on the matter, and want to know what it thinks of its best selling peripheral being used for security purposes. We also want to know if we can expect to see Mii passport photos soon...
We'll keep you posted if and when Nintendo replies.
Why is the fact they are dog bowls important? There is nothing special about them is there?
But, more intriguing than that is how could the balance board help with security? They mention 'centre of gravity'. I appreciate the balance board tests just that but how does this relate to terrorists?