Well, more automated, but there are indeed some cool things here in terms of larger bins, faster people being able to get through faster, etc. It also avoids the security awkwardness of temporarily shutting down the line so that the TSA agents can wheel bins back from the end to the beginning.
It does seem to me that you would end up a given person's bins (if they needed more than one — these are over-sized, but once you start getting jackets and shoes and luggage and purses and the like, you could easily need more than one bin) being separated at the back end, which would doubtless cause some anxiety or worries about theft (I know I feel a lot more comfortable when I'm there to see all my bags come out), and more hassle on the the exit end of the line, but the overall efficiency of this setup seems superior to the current arrangements.
It still has a large splash of security theater about it, but at least it's a bit less inconvenient security theater.
United Airlines Opening Fully Automated Airport Screening Lanes
In an effort to ease congestion at security checkpoints — like last year’s unholy traffic jams during the busiest season for travel — United Airlines has outfitted an entire airpo…
The unholy traffic jams are important to underscore the inefficiency of security theater. Making pointless processes more efficient is pointless.
This system is great, It is used in many airports around the world. Yes you do have to use more than one bin but it works really well. Great Move.