Technology is playing an important role in minimizing the risk of COVID-19 infection. Safety guidelines like social distancing and washing of hands frequently bring down the risk of infection, no doubt. But now we are looking at a return to normal life. This means that factories will soon start operating and attendance in offices will start rising. Given the space constraint in most offices, the normal rules of safety precautions may not really be that effective. There is also a need to monitor the health of workers coming in to work. Technology can help in a big way in monitoring the health of workers now.
A Finnish-Russian digital solutions provider for heavy industries has come forward to offer Indian companies a comprehensive product to reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19 at industrial and other facilities. In a statement, the company said, the product, based on artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision, allows automatic mask monitoring with the help of video analytics, monitoring of the safe distance between employees and real-time reports about violations. Besides, the system also has additional functions like measuring body temperature. According to news reports, various industrial safety solutions offered by Zyfra have already been installed in more than 50 companies in Russia and abroad.
OFFICE SAFETY IS A MAJOR CONCERN
Occupational safety is a major safety concern in view of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Many offices and organisations have started paying attention to solutions that can optimize the safety of workers and prevent the spread of infection. Thanks to innovations by tech companies, digital solutions now allow supervising the health status of workers and compliance with occupational safety rules. This includes those related to protective clothing and equipment.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE’S ROLE IN COVID-19 CONTAINMENT
Artificial Intelligence has a huge potential for analyzing large amounts of data quickly, an attribute that can have a big impact in a pandemic situation. Technology companies are gearing up to meet the challenge and some innovations are already in the market today.
Drones
Drones are being increasingly used during the COVID-19 pandemic. They help in tracking people not wearing face masks in public spaces. They also help in deploying medical samples in a particular area.
Robots
Intelligent robots are also having a positive impact. They help in a range of solutions like sterilising isolation wings in hospitals to delivering food and other essentials to those who are in quarantine. It’s no wonder manufacturers are creating and deploying a growing number of intelligent drones and robots during this time.
Chatbots
Thanks to the current health crisis, healthcare systems across the world are overwhelmed. Because of this, many organisations, including the WHO and CDC, are adding virtual healthcare assistants or “chatbots” to their websites. These assistants answer questions, provide updates to customers, check for symptoms and advise patients on where to go for a screening or home-isolation. The AI language processing features of these chatbots can reduce urgent care visits to a great extent. And, since it provides factual, up-to-date information on the virus, it also helps in reducing stress and anxiety of patients.