Thermal scanners, infrared thermometers and thermal cameras, which can measure body temperature in a contactless manner, have become vital tools in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the search for newer technologies that are cost-effective and safe, three students of the Department of Physics, Sanatana Dharma (SD) College, Alappuzha, have designed an Automatic Temperature Measurement and Alert System (ATMAS).
The system consists of a camera, temperature module, and an Arduino microcontroller. It measures the temperature of the forehead of a person approaching via face recognition using the camera and temperature sensor. ATMAS can be used to estimate the body temperature from wrist or fist.
Readings greater than the normal body temperature suggesting fever are instantly notified to the individual and authorities concerned. It is designed to measure the temperature irrespective of the height of the individual, and the camera captures photographs of those monitored with elevated body temperatures.
Cutting cost
One of the highlights of ATMAS, developed by Abhishek R. Nath, Midhun Mohan and Sangeeth S. Kini (final-year BSc students) under the guidance of Sreekanth J. Varma, assistant professor, Department of Physics, is the intelligent use of recycled items, thereby reducing the overall expenditure. The prototype costs around ₹5,000.
The team said research was under way to make the device more compact, portable and economic. "In our fight against the pandemic, this invention is going to be of immense help," said P.R. Unnikrishna Pillai, principal, SD College.
The research team is also planning to develop an automatic entry and exit system with a database recording facility that contains information of the individuals monitored.
The invention comes at a time when SD College, the oldest college affiliated with the University of Kerala, is celebrating its platinum jubilee.
The college had received a funding of ₹1 crore from the Department of Science and Technology, the Government of India, for research and teaching in basic sciences under the Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure (FIST) programme. The Department of Physics had secured special research assistance of ₹30 lakh from the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment.
