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Smart Thermal Image Technology to Detect Body Temperature

ITRI unveiled a smart thermal image body temperature detection technology in an online press conference in April, 2020.

ITRI unveiled a smart thermal image body temperature detection technology in an online press conference in April, 2020.

Temperature screening serves as an important public health measure to catch possible epidemic infections at the first line and promptly isolate those with fevers. In April, ITRI announced an intelligent thermal image technology that relies on non-contact infrared detection to determine body temperature. This technology features AI facial recognition, indoor/outdoor adaptability, dynamic measurement for multiple persons, and fast deployment, making it an effective tool to rapidly detect fevers for a large crowd.

Dr. Chun-Hsun Chu, General Director of ITRI’s Smart Microsystems Technology Center, stated that this technology combines a variety of innovative R&D results. First of all, the AI facial recognition ability allows the system to quickly capture facial images and complete infrared sensing, offering a high level of accuracy in measuring head temperature. The image recognition technology can exclude irrelevant objects and thus there is no worry that the heat of pets or passing vehicles will be detected, nor will there be false alarms when people hold hot food or beverages.

The technology can distinguish head temperature from the heat of food or beverages and can be used outdoors.

The technology can distinguish head temperature from the heat of food or beverages and can be used outdoors.

ITRI has also introduced a multi-person dynamic measurement function, which can detect up to nine people at a time from as far as three meters away to allow fast non-contact access, while reducing the amount of manpower needed for manual temperature check.

In order to measure body temperature more efficiently, ITRI turns to a relatively low resolution sensor chip and uses a color image correcting algorithm to simulate high-quality sensing. In conjunction with Internet of Things, the technology can be linked to and controlled by a personal mobile phone, alleviating the need to train professionals to operate the system.

What’s better, the system is equipped with constant temperature control and smart temperature compensation technologies, which can minimize indoor and outdoor temperature differences and reduce external environmental interference such as light, airflow or humidity. This makes outdoor applications possible, distinguishing this system from most existing infrared body temperature sensors that can only be used indoors.

This fever detection technology is applicable for use at the entrances to places where large numbers of people file through, such as schools, housing communities, corporate security checkpoints, and public mass transport.

ITRI has been conducting field verification since March in elementary and secondary schools in Taipei City and Penghu, Taiwan. The Institute hopes to engage domestic manufacturers in production on a larger scale and work with local governments to deploy the technology islandwide to help protect public health and safety.

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