Got a fever? This machine can spot it in a jiffy

[Jason Ho]

Saw this on StraitsTimes Interactive

SINCE last Friday, a new weapon has been deployed in the war against Sars.

Red for hot, blue for cool. This thermal imager deployed at Changi Airport can pick up feverish foreheads of passengers. It was developed by ST Electronics and the Defence Science and Technology Agency. -- TERENCE TAN
The Infrared Fever Sensing System has been used to check passengers at Changi Airport.

Developed for the military, it is now helping nurses to spot feverish passengers without the use of thermometers.

The mobile set, placed at the end of the aerobridge, works as a thermal imaging sensor.

It feeds data into a computer, so feverish foreheads show up as red spots, and cool ones as blue, on silhouetted images on a computer screen.....

Wonder if theres any side effect for this new screeening equipement.

 

[Bluestrike]

hmm.. I wonder...
If a guy was to get hot down there..... will it show up???

hmm.....

 

[Wolfgang]

Originally posted by Jason Ho
Wonder if theres any side effect for this new screeening equipement.

Don't think so... Basic thermal imaging is non intrusive so i reckon there should be none.

 

[ckhaos]

This machine will show everyone having a fever for two reasons.

First, imagine the amount of oil on your forehead, especially after a 20 hour flight. Oil has a high thermal conductivity and thus absorbs the body heat even more.

Second, because of the cabin pressure, the heart beats slower and the body as a whole is cooler. This then makes the oiled forehead even more pronounced.

 

[newuser]

Originally posted by ckhaos
This machine will show everyone having a fever for two reasons.

First, imagine the amount of oil on your forehead, especially after a 20 hour flight. Oil has a high thermal conductivity and thus absorbs the body heat even more.

Second, because of the cabin pressure, the heart beats slower and the body as a whole is cooler. This then makes the oiled forehead even more pronounced.

I disagree, firstly I do not claim to know how the device work but before our dear PAP decide to flaunt this "new" device to the public which was adapted from a weapon system developed by the DSTA.

I am very sure they must have conducted trials to ensure it's accuracy is pretty high before they decide to tell the press they are going to make 8 more for the airport and are even thinking of using at the Woodlands Check point.


However it's use at Woodlands may be hampered.
can you imagine if the weather is 34 degrees outside and you walked across the causeway, sweating and panting and you walk in front of the device, it is bound to show red. anyway.

so you may have to cool down in the aircon checkpoint complex before you try to walk in front of it to prevent flase alarm.