Maximising investments in thermal camera technology
During the current COVID-19 outbreak, significant investments in thermal camera (body temperature measuring) technology are occurring with little, to no, thinking about how to utilise these investments beyond the current outbreak.
Before the lockdown I travelled extensively around Asia, meeting with customers and partners, continually seeing human-operated thermal imaging cameras everywhere at airports, transport hubs, shopping centres and businesses. This legacy was from their previous experiences with viruses such as SAR's and H1N1. Similar camera technology will no doubt become a regular site in Australia now; however, learning from what has happened elsewhere. Considerations should be given to how this technology can work for organisation by triggering greater automation of business workflows and OHSE practices harnessing these investments in other ways.
Thermal Camera technology does not just have to be a cosmetic item to be deployed in a foyer to provide the feeling to your employees, customers and the community that you are doing reasonable endeavours to protect them.
With a cost beyond $30,000 per unit, when considering the camera technology think about how you can use it to solve additional problems beyond reading a single person temperature. When a system is capable of being integrated into back end systems, video and thermal analytics can be used to drive efficiencies in building automation, people and flow controls or for critical applications such as fire detection and night vision.
Continually innovating workM8 has been working with manufacturers of thermal cameras and our clients to deploy solutions not limited to pre-screening COVID-19 use case being actively considered today by many organisations.
By processing video and thermal data streams in real-time workM8 have been able to add additional verification to body temperature readings reducing the risk of false positives from incorrect temperature reading. With workM8 software processing the data streams and interlacing other data sources, workflows and processes can be spawned off around containment, communications, escalation, or only people counting.
When making decisions around which camera to use and how you will use it, determine what you need now and in the future proof opportunities, you have to enhance and automate your business.
Addressing the growing questions around best practices for utilising thermal camera technology, workM8 has become a camera distributor adding a number of leading providers into our hardware portfolio, which includes vehicle trackers, personable alarms and wearables. Our primary focus remains on helping you automate your business processes, tapping into critical data coming in from your digital assets. If you have made an investment in camera technology or you are about to, speak with one of our consultants to see how you can harness workM8 software in your solution to enhance how you work.