Armenian Engineers Develop Thermal Scanner in Response to Covid-19

YEREVAN (Armradio) — Armenian engineers have developed a thermal scanner – an AI solution that can be used for detecting elevated skin temperature in high-traffic public places through quick multiple target screening.

The Scylla Thermal Scanner provides AI-based analytics, which, combined with a state-of-the-art thermal camera, enables continuous contactless and non-invasive accurate temperature monitoring.

It can be used for preliminary screening in border checkpoints, airports, educational and government institutions, manufacturing warehouses, and hospitals.

“Such solutions are very expensive in the world, and the prices hit $20,000 amid growing demand due to the coronavirus pandemic,” the company’s technical co-founder and chief data scientist Ara Ghazaryan said in an interview with Public Radio of Armenia.

He added that what they offer is at least three times cheaper.

“We offer different solutions. In one case the camera fixes the temperature when a person walks in front of it. In a second case people need to stand before the camera to get their temperature measured. The second option is cheaper,” Ghazaryan said.

Ara Ghazaryan says Latin American and Arabic countries are most interested in purchasing the scanners. Columbia has already installed them at the entrances of hospitals.

As for Armenia, he says, the system is still too expensive for the country.

Scylla Thermal Scanner is used for preliminary screening purposes only and cannot be considered as proof or a basis for a medical diagnosis.

Scylla – a company with offices in Armenia and the US – is a leading developer of computer-vision based facial, behavior, and object recognition tools for first responders.