Regular body temperature measurement is one of the simplest screening methods to detect a fever, which might be an early symptom of a viral infection such as that caused by SARS-CoV-2. The appearance of a coronavirus in any workplace is associated with the risk of compulsory employee self-isolation and, in extreme cases, even the entire business lock down, costing the companies millions in damages. Regardless of whether you are a business owner or an employee, you must be wondering what solutions might be found useful and effective. In the SARS-COV-2 pandemic era, even the ordinary, everyday activities are often quite a challenging experience with high risk involved, let alone running a business in the new reality. This new situation is of course a source of serious stress, but let's take a while to think how much responsibility is put on all those dealing with security issues in commercial buildings. Safety is of utmost importance, and is now the concern we all share. However, like in many other areas, advanced technology also comes in handy here.

One ways to fight the spread of coronavirus is measuring body temperature, as fever is one of the most common and fastest-appearing symptoms of coronavirus infection. It happens, however, that the infected person feels quite well for a long time and is not even aware of having an elevated temperature. The conventional method of measurement, as can be seen in the TV news lately, is the use of a contactless thermometer, held close to the forehead of the person being tested. There are, however, some drawbacks in this procedure. First of all, the distance. The measurement can be made from a distance of only a few centimetres, which in itself is a threat of pathogen transfer. The effectiveness is another concern. The measurement usually takes 2 to 5 seconds, depending on the thermometer model. Waiting to be tested and, for example, admitted inside, can take quite long when a large number of people is involved.

The lack of documentation of measurements and subsequent identification of the persons measured is also an issue. Appearing in the recent weeks at entrances to emergency wards, the thermographic cameras are free from those flaws. The camera "sees" the thermal radiation of objects and converts it into a grayscale or color image. Moreover, the device automatically measures in real time the temperature of objects that are within its range, even from a distance of several meters, and, when the temperature limit is exceeded, it alerts the staff accordingly.

But what if someone holds, a cup of hot coffee, or there is a window pane heated by the sun in the background? Here, the artificial intelligence comes to the rescue.

Before the camera measures the temperature, its algorithms search for the face (or faces) in the image, and measure only inside that zone. What is more, such camera can perform a simultaneous measurement of up to 30 people, automatically finding faces in the image and measuring the temperature right where it should. The results are displayed in real time on the image, for each person individually. And all that with an accuracy of 0.3°C!

The benefits to the safety, speed and reliability of measurements and convenience of the entering people traffic control, are self-explanatory. But what if someone with an elevated temperature is detected? An audible and visual alarm will be activated and the system operator will immediately identify the right person. Face detection, measurements and generating alarms – it is all done by the camera itself with no additional devices required. This gives us a clue of ​​how much progress in the field of artificial intelligence, computing power and miniaturization has been made in recent years. Optionally, the system can be extended by an NVR to record videos along with temperature measurement data, for easy identification of those remaining close to the person with elevated temperature.

The potential of thermal imaging cameras can be further extended by Hikvision autonomous measuring terminals MinMoe. These devices combine the functions of a compact LCD monitor, thermal imaging camera and an area access controller. Depending on the model, they may have a compact design for wall mounting, or mounted on a lightweight portable stand which can be positioned e.g. at the entrance or in passageways. All the device requires is the power supply and an optional computer network connection. Every person approaching the terminal sees their face on the screen and the temperature is measured, followed by a voice and visual message to confirm admission to the building.

To count customers in the store, a security guard has to be involved at all times, which is an extra cost. Moreover, he is just a human, so the counting can be quite incorrect due to distraction or too many people coming in and out, apart from the fact how unprofessional such a "counter" looks in the eyes of the customers. There are, in fact, automatic counting systems based on photocells, most often mounted at anti-theft gates or doors. However, they also generate high error rates, usually of several percent. Why is it so? The operating principle behind a photocell involves breaking an infrared beam, so if there are more people entering or leaving the store at a time, they will be counted as one person. If the beam is broken by one person coming in and another coming out at the same time, only one person will be recorded again. The counting error of several percent means that for every thousand customers the system will "miss" over 100 of them! This should not happen in the era of sanitary restrictions and in view of a strictly defined number of customers allowed in a building at the same time. And here, again, the artificial intelligence proves to be of help. A special camera with two lenses, located directly above the entrance, enables a stereoscopic view that is subsequently transformed by its software into a three-dimensional model.

Non-human objects (e.g. animals, carts, prams, etc.) will not be counted. Several people entering simultaneously or people passing by in the measuring field are not a problem for artificial intelligence either. The counting is always accurate, fast and reliable. And what is the customer perspective? A number of options is possible. In the most common situation, when the number of customers in the store reaches the limit, the camera itself can generate a voice message and/or activate a "WAIT” illuminated sign. A monitor can also be located at the entrance, showing how many people are present currently in the building and how many more can enter. It is also possible to use information systems (digital signage), e.g. advertising totems. The device can simultaneously display e.g. information on the people count, body temperature of the entering people, advertising content, hand washing instructions and the like.

For small stores, only one counting camera will be sufficient, but what if the facility has many entrances and exits (e.g. shopping mall)? It is not an issue for the system either. A dedicated digital recorder or an appropriate application (e.g. Hik-Central from Hikvision) can not only sum up the counting results from multiple cameras (entrances/exits), but also automatically generate reports on people counts, broken down to hours, days, weeks, etc. For facility managers, the counting cameras are therefore not only a means of observing the occupancy limits imposed, but also a splendid business tool offering very accurate data on the number of customers at a given time. Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool to fight pandemics, and the single solutions presented here are just a small indication of its potential. Nevertheless, the cameras can very effectively care for the safety of us all.

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