Smart Innovations That Are Helping in Tackling Covid-19
Published on : Wednesday 15-04-2020
Today, we are facing a global socio-economic crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The virus has already halted economies around the world, and the situation continues getting severe as the disease is spreading rapidly worldwide. In order to curb the situation, companies globally are working day and night to innovate, high-tech technologies. As China is getting back on track, some police officers in the country are using smart helmets that can automatically identify a person suffering from fever within a 5-meter radius.
The helmet, developed by Shenzhen-based tech firm Kuang-chi, features temperature detection and support vehicle registration plate recognition. The helmet, which comes with a mounted display, is able to detect the body temperature of anyone in real-time. For this, a police officer just needs to wear the helmet and look at someone, then after the helmet automatically gives body temperature and ultimately decides whether the person has possibly infected with the coronavirus.
Body temperature readings of passersby will be seen on a display screen through the helmet's viewing portal. Lei Tao, who is overseeing research and development of the device, says, using hand-held infrared thermometers remains the primary monitoring method, which has to be done on a one-on-one basis. According to him, using the helmet, based on a prototype originally designed for police officers, seems like watching a 178-cm television screen 3 meters in front of a person, with body temperatures automatically measured in milliseconds.
On the other side, the Telangana Information Technology Association (TITA) established by IT Expert Sundeep Kumar Makthala and V Prakash has launched a unique Digithon Covid-19 online clinic to fight against the pandemic. The online clinic app is designed to up effort against Covid-19 and help those stranded abroad. The association has joined various people globally to help each other in the time of crisis. Through this online clinic, it has become easier to share each other’s views of the virus. There are many people from villages, NRIs and those working from home, doctors, nutritionists, personality development personnel and others who are already on the app, sharing their ideas to combat the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the age of widespread innovation of wearable technologies, three Seattle-based entrepreneurs have built a wristband that vibrates when the person wearing is going to touch their face. This Immutouch Band, a wearable device, is designed to avoid face touching and the risk of infection. According to the company, the Immutouch wearable vibrates when the user’s hand enters a precalibrated position, such as near the mouth, nose or eyes.
Moreover, Duke University researchers are exploring the way of how data collected by smartphones, FitBits, Apple Watches and other smartwatches that may help in determining whether device users have Covid-19. Researchers who are working on a research project, called CovIdentify, is recruiting participants through a website at covidentify.org. Led by assistant professor of biomedical engineering Jessilyn Dunn and Ryan Shaw, associate professor of nursing and director of the Health Innovation Lab, the project will analyze information about smartwatch users’ health, including sleep schedules, oxygen levels, activity levels, and heart rate, to detect early symptoms of Covid-19.
Therefore, as the world has seized under the pandemic, innovative technologies are opening new opportunities, and we believe, the rapid innovations from forward-thinking companies will intensify and help tackle the future pandemic.