Montgomery: When visitors entered Alabama State University’s John Garrick Hardy Student Center on Tuesday morning, they were asked to do the opposite of what most every public health official has recommended since spring – remove their masks. For a moment, at least. That’s because Draganfly, a smart thermal temperature assessment device that screens for COVID-19 symptoms, reads biomarkers such as temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate by quickly scanning the image of a person’s face. The smart device is contactless, reads temperatures in about 30 seconds and requires only that individuals remove all face coverings, including glasses. No data is collected, and images are not stored. ASU is the first educational facility in the state to unveil the new technology, which will be utilized in “high traffic” areas across campus.
