The polygraph is widely used in the US in criminal cases and for security clearance for the FBI and CIA but is much less popular in Europe. Many people in the scientific and legal communities do not believe that it is reliable. By contrast, the new method has performed well in experiments. The basic thought is that liars fidget more and so the use of an all-body motion suit – the kind used in films to create computer-generated characters – will record this. One of the research team, Ross Anderson, said that years of research show that an interviewer will know whether someone is telling the truth, and not lies, in only about 55 times out of 100. He said the new method, by contrast, was reliable over 70% of the time. And he was confident they would be able to do better. In some tests, the team has already achieved more than 80%. Anderson said: “Guilty people fidget more and we can measure this.”
What can an all-body suit be used for?
Create computer-generated characters Influence liars to fidget more Protect FBI and CIA agents Protect the body in cold weather