The Coronavirus Disease has been spreading throughout the world for some months now, leaving many people to lose their loved ones and affecting the livelihood of many, as well as the operation of almost all industries.
The disease, dubbed as “COVID-19” as it started spreading in December 2019, was declared a global emergency in January 2020 and a pandemic in March 2020. As of today, COVID-19 has over 5 million active cases and more than 340,000 recorded deaths around the world. Unfortunately, there is still no cure or vaccine to the virus.
IoT will make it easier and accessible for emergency responders to locate infected people.
Health workers risk their lives every single day trying their very best to save as many infected people as they can by enhancing the immunity level of patients and treating symptoms. At the same time, other front liners do their best to support and provide our living necessities, serving every day to billions of people to make sure that all of our living essentials are well-maintained and every community is following protocols, despite the fact that it is their lives that are being at risk. Amidst all these, scientists and doctors are still working to find a cure to the disease, but in the meantime, what we all can do is to try to prevent the disease from spreading by doing preventive measures such as social distancing, wearing masks when outside, always washing hands, and staying at home as much as we can. For the meantime, as the strict implementation of lockdown is slowly being lifted up, and as at least one in every household is required to get necessities, the technology industry has developed an aid to the implementation of preventive measure protocols around the world, especially here in the UAE. The world of technology has developed digital solutions to help prevent further spread of the Coronavirus disease, the application of smart digital technology in Video Management Systems (VMS).
This evolution of technology uses the Internet of Things to efficiently power the algorithms of various digitalization, one of which is VMS. Because of this, innovators saw the advantage of modern digital technology and how these advantages can be beneficial to our current situation. Digital Technology innovators have integrated both IoT and AI in VMS solutions that can help detect possible carriers of the virus and people violating the Social Distancing protocols.
Through the integration of IoT and AI in VMS solutions, it will be easier, faster, and more accessible for emergency responders to locate people who may be infected with the Coronavirus disease. One program of the solution is Thermal Imaging, which has been used in many public places such as airports for a very long time now. However, now that IoT and AI has been integrated with the program, Thermal Imaging detects more accurate temperature reading, faster and more productive data collection and transmission, and faster data distribution to connected authorized networks and devices. Because of IoT, modern Thermal Imaging programs do not only “read” temperature, but also translates collected data into useful information.
Man Down Detection is another program of VMS solutions that are very useful to today’s situation. This solution detects sudden fall of a person or basically people collapsing.
Artificial Intelligence also records different factors that are necessary in identifying any given situation such as the time spent by a person on the ground, if the person is plainly sitting, the time he has been sitting, factors that may be the cause of the fall such as obstacles, and many more.
With the integration of IoT in this digital solution, data is then processed and sent to corresponding personnel such as emergency responders to immediately tend to the person.
Another solution created by technology innovators that are essentially important today is the detection of Social Distancing Violators. One of the globally implemented protocols today is Social Distancing. This is to prevent spread of the virus through close contact with other people. Through VMS, Law Enforcement gets access to people who are not following this simple rule. AI is responsible for detecting distance between people; data gathered by sensors are then communicated to various networks and devices to be translated into understandable information and then be sent to proper personnel, in which here in Dubai, the Dubai’s Law Enforcement.
There are many other uses of technology that are very powerful and useful during COVID-19. The world of technology never runs out of innovative ideas and creations. Technology and digitalization are either always improving or disruptive, either way, it always ensures positive effects to our world. Who knows? Maybe innovators are currently working on other digital solutions or technologies that will not only prevent the virus but might also be a missing piece in the creation of the Coronavirus disease vaccine.