A coronavirus-triggered rush for infrared cameras that identify people with elevated skin temperature is causing makers of the devices to beef up supply chains. The first wave of demand came in part from factories and health-care companies, but it has since expanded as companies and governments reimagine entertainment, athletics, transportation and education under the coronavirus. The cameras use orange and yellow hues to highlight people with higher skin temperatures without the close contact required by traditional thermometers.
Prices of infrared screening systems can range from $2,000 to $15,000 or higher. The fast-growing market for body-temperature scanners could exceed $1 billion in sales by year’s end, writes The Wall Street Journal (May 22, 2020). Businesses are turning to temperature checks as they plan to reopen and look to mitigate the risk of illness. Ford Motor deployed more than 380 infrared thermal-scanning systems across 100 facilities world-wide to provide an added layer of comfort for employees on top of other safety measures, including mandatory face masks. In addition to Ford, thermal scanners will be used by, among others, Las Vegas casino The Venetian, the PGA golf tour and the Baltimore Ravens’ training facilities.
U.S. officials are preparing to start checking passengers’ temperatures at roughly a dozen airports. The temperature scanners would likely be a mix of tripods that can screen multiple people at once and hand-held thermal devices. Evolving demand from customers is raising the complexity of systems. Instead of stand-alone thermal scanners, some firms want to connect them with existing closed-circuit television networks,, raising cybersecurity and privacy concerns. Requests from places like football stadiums pose another kind of challenge, with fans entering through an outdoor entrance where humidity and temperature aren’t controlled.
Classroom discussion questions:
- How might colleges use such scanners?
- Referring to Chapter 5 in your Heizer/Render/Munson OM text, what life cycle phase is the thermal scanner in?