With the start of the new school year, it’s not surprising to see a number of COVID-19 cases in many institutions, especially where groups of students clearly aren’t taking the threat seriously. Many schools, though are taking a firm stance on COVID-19 and have implemented solutions to reduce risk and, hopefully, help them keep their campuses open.
Alabama State University, for one, is using a trio of solutions from Draganfly to help protect its students, faculty, and staff.
“As we enter into a new school year during this pandemic, the safety of our students, faculty and staff is of utmost importance. We have implemented a number of safety measures as we prepared for the reopening of the campus. “
Dr. Quinton T. Ross Jr., President, Alabama State University
The three components of the Draganfly technology designed to increase safety around campus include:
- Smart Thermal Temperature Assessment
- Vital Signs Assessment
- Social Distancing
The five thermal assessment and vital sign assessment stations around campus provide a contactless measurement of not only temperature, but also heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation using a combination of camera hardware and Draganfly’s Vital Intelligence software.
Five social distancing monitors also use a combination of cameras and software to provide a real-time visual feed of individuals in those areas, each marked with either a green or red circle to indicate whether they are following distancing protocols.
The platform, which can even detect when individuals cough, does not register any personal data about screened individuals, and only delivers aggregate data to the University, including the number of individuals screened, number of elevated temperatures, potential cases with elevated vital signs detected, and the time taken for each screening.
Another set of machines at the university can show a live video feed of people walking or standing nearby and mark a red circle on those who aren’t staying 6 feet apart.
“The Smart Thermal Temperature Screening Stations are an added layer of protocols that assist us in identifying and mitigating the risk of the spread of COVID-19. The stations are an essential tool in screening large groups of people in a short period of time.”
Dr. Quinton T. Ross Jr.
These stations are in addition to the other protocols already in place, including daily health screenings and mandatory testing, mask requirements, enhanced cleaning and safety measures. Alabama State is hoping these additional pandemic tech solutions will help it avoid the outbreak seen at the University of Alabama, which has reported 1,200 cases among its student body.
