Temperature scanning products and biometrics integrations launched, market growth forecast

Technologies combining biometrics with temperature checks are continuing to gain steam on both the supply and demand side. The thermal scanning market is expected to grow at a sustained annual growth rate of around 10 percent, while Estone Technology, Oloid and Guardhat, ZKteco and 22Miles are all bringing out new technologies to support the reopening of society.

New products and partnerships

Estone Technology has launched an integrated infrared thermal temperature, facial recognition and liveness detection system for access control in communities, office buildings, hotels, transportation facilities and other areas.

The new FSAC-80: Compact Fever Screening & Access Control System features automatic temperature detection within 0.5 degrees Celsius, with fever checks taking less than a second from a distance of a half-meter to one meter.

The device features a 2MP binocular camera. The facial recognition capability supports a library of up to 30,000 faces for 1:1 matching with over 98.3 percent accuracy or 1:N matching with a recognition rate over 96.7 percent. Recognition speed is under half a second, so up to 120 people per minute can be scanned. The feature works with or without masks, and the system can provide an alarm for a temperature over a certain threshold, or issue a reminder to wear a mask.

The system is interoperable with various gate solutions, and supports Linux, Android or Windows operation. It can be mounted to a tripod, wall, or poll stand, and can provide a display size anywhere from a built-in 7-inch screen up to 43 inches.

Oloid’s touchless workplace system, which includes FaceVault facial recognition for employee access, is being integrated with Guardhat’s spatial and geofencing IoT technology to support the preventative measures recommended by agencies like the CDC and OSHA while businesses reopen.

The combined solution provides temperature checking and contact tracing for employees, while also reducing contact with common touchpoints like door handles and time clocks, according to a company announcement. Organizations will also be able to immediately inform employees if they fail to observe distancing guidelines.

“Many companies in essential industries are evaluating how to keep their workforce safe by leveraging the latest technologies, without compromising on privacy,” says Madhu Madhusudhanan, CTO of Oloid. “It is our privilege to serve the deskless workforce by introducing our privacy-forward technology that can help them get back to work with one less thing to worry about.”

ZKTeco has launched a pair of new facial recognition terminals with body temperature screening and mask detection to reduce COVID-19 transmission risk and secure workplace access control.

The Proface X [TD] is an upgraded version ZKTeco’s ProFace product line, and both it and the SpeedFace-V5l [TD] feature palm print, vein and shape biometric verification and fast recognition speed, the company says, in addition to anti-spoofing for its facial recognition.

Digital signage provider 22Miles has launched what it calls a Protection-as-a-Service solution with advanced camera hardware, facial and body temperature detection software, integrated sensors and machine learning algorithms. TempDefend is a plug-and-play solution for new or existing displays which supports facial recognition, and provides vocal instructions for people to enter the camera frame to be scanned by its thermal sensor. A response sequence is initiated if a fever above 99.5 degrees Celsius is detected, and the system can be integrated into access control workflows or connected with reception for a video call. TempDefend can also reject building access or suggest a mask.

The system starts at $2,000, and can be available within two to four weeks with new hardware, or sooner for integration with existing systems.

X.Labs rebrands flagship software and partners with Vuzix

Public safety-focused X.Labs has rebranded its flagship weapon detection technology SWORD as X1, and combines thermal imaging and facial recognition to address the broad range of threats facility owners and operators are contending with. The system still features weapon detection with millimeter wave technology and gunshot detection.

“Over the last three years our business has grown at a rate far exceeding our expectations,” said Todd Dunphy, COO and Co-Founder of X.Labs. “During this time, we’ve added many new features to the X1 System that makes this offering something that is much more than just a weapons detection device. Undertaking this rebrand at this point in time is the key driver to our future expansion.”

X.Labs has also formed a partnership with Vuzix to implement its technology on the latter’s smart glasses.

Market to grow at 10 percent CAGR

The global market for thermal scanning is expected be worth $3.8 billion in 2020, and grow at a CAGR of approximately 10 percent through 2030, according to Future Market Insights.

The Thermal Scanner Market report says the military segment will make up nearly a third of the market this year, and going forward the use of thermal scanners as the first line of defense against COVID-19 at railways stations and airports will be a major growth driver. The 300-page report also suggests that fixed and mounted scanners will make up roughly three quarters of the market.

In the first wave of demand produced by the pandemic, factories and hospitals contributed significantly to demand. Handheld and portable thermal scanners have been increasing in popularity, and the market is expected to be impacted by government mandates as shopping centers and workplaces reopen.

The thermographic cameras donated by iMotion Security’s President Frederic Abenaim to hospitals and other organizations in Montreal and Laval, near the company’s headquarters, have been warmly received.

Each camera is worth over $6,000, and they were donated in part to determine their effectiveness in pandemic spread reduction measures.

Bruce Lapointe, Chief of Service at the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux (CIUSSS) Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, which operates multiple hospitals using the device, recommends it as “useful, reliable and easy to use.” Security guards used the scanners to perform checks within two to three seconds from two to three meters away.

The cameras are not networkable, and do not take photos, making them safe from privacy risks, according to the company.

Article Topics

22Miles  |  access management  |  biometric liveness detection  |  biometrics  |  contactless biometrics  |  Estone Technology  |  facial recognition  |  fever detection  |  Guardhat  |  iMotion Security  |  Oloid  |  temperature monitoring  |  thermal  |  Vuzix  |  ZKTeco