An Israeli company is offering a solution to scan the temperature of a large number of people entering a facility in a limited amount of time. That could be extremely effective as countries are starting to lift restrictions imposed to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
Israel, for example, has begun to allow activities that have large crowds of people gathering in a specific location to resume.
Venues such as theaters, cinemas and stadiums will commence operating within the next few weeks. Shopping malls are going to reopen on Thursday, provided that special measures are observed. They include limiting the number of people allowed in and taking the customers' temperature. For that, an automated solution that can be installed at mall entrances is offered by an Israeli company, ASI Technologies CEO Kobi Ventura told The Jerusalem Post.
Located in Kibbutz Netzer Sereni, the company was established more than 20 years ago. It specializes in electronic manufacturing assembly and deals with many types of products.
“We have many partners all over the world, among other countries in China, where they are already in a more advanced phase in the battle against the coronavirus, including in finding solutions for the post-lockdown phase,” Ventura said. “One of them has developed a special gate that measures the body temperature of people, suitable for facilities that are accessed by many in a short amount of time, like shopping malls, stadiums and even military basis.”
The technology employs infrared cameras and is able to instantaneously take the temperate of a person, as long as only one enters at a time, he said. If the temperature is too high, the system sends out a signal. Moreover, the product also offers an option to connect it with cameras and computers, as well as an integrated metal detector, combining the coronavirus safety measures with regular security measures.
“The gate can also count how many people pass through it, which is useful when the number of customers allowed in a facility is limited,” Ventura said.
“We also offer another solution called ‘thermopad,’ a small device similar to a tablet that can measure the temperature and features a face-recognition technology, suitable for factories or office buildings where employers need to take the temperatures of the workers,” he added.
The gate is already in use in several countries, including China, Germany, the United Kingdom and Mexico, Ventura said. In Israel, ASI Technologies is in talks with several potential customers, including shopping malls, office towers and military facilities, he said.
The company already has a small stock available in the country, and it can be installed in less than an hour, Ventura said.
The gate does not present any potential breach of people’s privacy, since the infrared cameras only measure their temperature, he said.
“There might be concerns about the use of the thermopad,” Ventura said. “But in that case, it is up to employees to choose how to use it. Moreover, today there are security cameras anywhere anyway.”