© Teeraphon Phooma/EyeEm/Getty ImagesDrones are being used to help monitor social distancing efforts and detect COVID-19 symptoms from afar.
Drone manufacturer Draganfly is working with the police department in Westport, Connecticut, to test the drones. Located in Fairfield County -- adjacent to New York City -- Westport was the first town in the state to report several coronavirus infections, according to a Wednesday press release from Draganfly.
The drones include specialized sensor and computer vision systems that can display a person's temperature, heart and respiratory rates, as well as detect people sneezing or coughing in a crowd, the release said. The technology can accurately detect infectious conditions from 190 feet away, as well as measure social distancing efforts, according to Draganfly.
The drones don't use facial recognition technology, and won't be used at people's private residences, according to a release from the Westport Police Department. Rather, they're used to identify patterns within the population, allowing officials to better track the spread and make decisions about public places while keeping first responders safe, the department said.
The Westport Police Department has had a drone program since 2016.
"The Westport Police Department along with first responders around the world are looking for effective ways to ease the spread of COVID-19 and keep their communities safe," Westport Chief of Police Foti Koskinas said in the Draganfly release. "This technology not only enhances the safety of our officers and the public, but the concept of using drones remains a go-to technology for reaching the most remote areas with little to no manpower needed. It also helps our officers acquire decision quality data they need to make the best choices in any given situation."
Reader Comments
Seems a little preposterous to me. I have a DJI Phantom 4 drone that does 4K video which is decent, but no audio...and I am not even sure how they could 'detect' symptoms with one....
(i was playing with uav's/uas/"drones" some years ago for fun). at that time the flir cameras were just too heavy and expensive to be fitted to a small quadcopter like the one in the picture.
btw; sure us have not started to steal chinese intellectual property these days? that drone looks very much like the the dji mavics
to start with, there is the image/nice video taking business(es). then there are the surveying/mapping/documentation related businesses. then sar/croud folloving/paparazzi-related stuff. "merchandises" delivery et al.
the list goes on.
but. there are the regulations/restrictions to take into consideration.
varys from continent to continent and from country to country.
After all, we could shoot down planes with .22 cal rifles and risk worse harm. (E.g., aim at the pilot, engine, or use a more serious rifle) BUT the possibilities of WHAT the stupid or malevolent MIGHT DO, should NOT control the vast majority.
For but the most recent example? Canada: Guy steals a cop car? (Is a cop?) (Supposedly) Goes on a shooting spree (with 23 dead and one wounded!) and before they've even released information on WHAT was the weapon used, they're outlawing 'Assault Rifles.' etc.
And the dumbshit proles are happily running from lockdown to 2a destruction. "Hard cases make bad laws."
Easier said than done. Current regulations prohibit you from flying a drone within five miles of an airport, unless you get permission from the tower...but there are always idiots who will ruin it for everyone else. I live 4 miles from a small general aviation airport (no tower) and have never flown over 400' at my house, no problems...common sense goes a long way...
so, out of "considerations" i gave up my "hobby".
however, in europe at least, one can now more or less do whatever one want - as long as the drone is sub 250g/(half pound?).
makes things interesting again, thanks to various developments.
my interest was however more in programming of the autopilots. but was unfortunately not too successful [Link]
hmm. there might be a thing or two in my life i am not too happy to talk about
::Please SOTT, add an edit feature::
Like speed cameras.
The inherent evil in subcontracting mercenaries (as griped about by Machiavelli - who has been thoroughly misrepresented since before Shakespeare) is the same as those who'll happily take advantage of the masses by ripping off the government.
I ain't being holier than anyone. Rather, I'm commenting on a big political/philosophical roadblock that even I ain't come up with the solution to.