Optical turnstile

Rather than physically restraining a person, the optical turnstile uses sounds and lights to alert others to attempted entry by unauthorized individuals.

Some of the first North American optical turnstiles were developed in the late 1980s for the San Francisco market by Omega Corporate Security of Walnut Creek, California.

In parallel, Automatic Systems and others developed barrier type optical turnstiles (speedgates) for the mass transit industry that were eventually adapted and evolved for Class A commercial real estate and corporate HQ entrance control markets.

Many security entrance lanes today are optical turnstile portals employing moving, mobile barriers of metal, glass or acrylic in some cases.

Many security optical turnstiles are IP network ready and certified for mechanical and electrical safety via UL325 or UL2593 standards by nationally recognized testing labs.

Newest technological offerings in optical turnstiles include climb-over detection software, biometrics and QR code reader integrations inside the cabinet, and built-in elevator destination dispatch screens, often at 45-degree angle.