Technologies Help Fight Coronavirus
By: Mila Wood
Tags: Technology Trends, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Technology News, Coronavirus Covid19

Technologies Applied to Fight the Coronavirus

While there are several symptoms of coronavirus infection, the principal one used for detection is fever. If one’s body temperature is elevated, there is a stronger possibility that one has been infected. For temperature detection technology of the human body, in addition to the traditional type which requires contact with the body, the most prevalent one being used is the “thermal camera” that we now see when entering and leaving many airports worldwide. It can also be called “thermal imager”. The fact that this is non-contact makes it very convenient to use.

The thermal imager works by detecting the infrared radiation from the human body through optical sensors, then converting the infrared radiation into an image, and comparing the difference against the temperature of surrounding objects. Although the temperature measurement is not quite as accurate as the direct contact method, it is very convenient and quite good compared to other technologies, so it is currently widely used.

Thermal cameras also have a wide array of uses in forest fire prevention, power equipment care, maritime search and rescue, etc.. With its coming integration with 5G & AI technology, its application should become even more extensive.

Technologies Benefit Hospitals During the Coronavirus Outbreak

The 2019-nCoV has been spreading quickly, exhausting hospitals’ available resources, both in terms of equipment and personnel. In Wuhan, new hospitals have been constructed to handle the large number of cases. In such situations, having a way to monitor all the new hospital beds with minimal personnel and infrastructure is very important. MmWave technology can be very useful in such situations.

Because mmWave sensors run at a very high frequency of 77GHz with millimeter-level wavelengths, they can detect very small amplitudes and movements, e.g., the action of breathing. Thus, through the use of data algorithms, this technology can be used to detect small changes in a patient’s breathing situation and alert doctors to emergency situations. Another advantage is that mmWave is a radio frequency wave, so it can monitor several patients at a time, which is not possible with typical individual sensors. This is particularly important in resource constrained situations like currently in Wuhan. In this situation, mmWave sensors are far superior to cameras which have difficulty processing tiny variations in weak light conditions.

Technologies to Help with the New Reality of Social Distancing

Many governments around the world are asking people to work from home and to practice social distancing in the midst of the worldwide Corona virus outbreak. While this is very necessary to contain the outbreak, isolating at home for a long time can be lonely and depressing. While communication software such as Zoom and Slack are handy for working remotely, they don’t offer much help with the mental side of things — such as asking how you’re feeling right now. Here’s an interesting solution!

Mood translator is a light-weighted, pock-sized sensor device that visualizes changes in your emotion via an app. By processing vital sign readings such as heart rate from your fingertips with a proprietary mood-recognition algorithm, it enables you to have a more comprehensive understanding of your feelings in a non-intrusive way. Mood change is being measured and visualized on the app in 5 levels from calm to tense, and stress level from low to high. What’s more, it can also be used for breath training during mediation to relieve you from stress and anxiety.