If policies can't fix an airport security nuisance, maybe technology will. Researchers are testing devices that can scan shoes and draw small particles from them for analysis. Soon, you may not have to be part of an exclusive trusted traveler club to be able to walk through security checkpoints in your own shoes.

United Press International reports that researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the U.S. are developing multiple versions of a system that can scan and analyze minute particles on shoe surfaces in just seconds. The system has the potential to alleviate the frustration travelers have with needing to remove their shoes for x-ray scanning. However, one frustration could simply be traded in for another.

Though there is no specific design that any security agency is considering at this time, there are several requirements to an effective device that will need to be met. An inspection station or kiosk needs to be set up so that the apparatus can lift particles from shoes, gather them in a compartment for examination, and chemically analyze their components. Such a setup would allow passengers to keep their shoes on while simply standing on a designated platform. The issue passengers may still have is the extra step (pardon the pun) they would have to take in an already laborious, multi-faceted security ritual.

The concept brings to mind the airport "puffer" machines used in several U.S. airports until 2009. Passengers would randomly be asked to step into an enclosure that would blast puffs of air over various parts of the body to dislodge any chemicals. The machines would then scan for any dangerous substances on a person. The problem is that they didn't always work. The Transportation Security Administration ordered 200 of these machines in 2004 but barely deployed half of them. It turns out that the surrounding airport environment played a key role in the effectiveness of the puffer machines which were susceptible to dirt and humidity. After many breakdowns and false alarms, the TSA pulled the plug on the machines in 2009.

So if you want to get to keep your shoes on through airport security checkpoints across the U.S., you can either wait for an invitation to give up your personal information and join a pre-screened trusted traveler program; or you can just wait for technology to catch up.