COVID-19: Plan to sneak into office despite a fever? This technology won't let you

Picture this. You are running a fever and yet, plan to quietly sneak into office anyway. Such plans could have worked earlier but may no longer be as simple amid paranoia over the spread of the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Some companies are now using automated systems such as facial recognition systems that are typically used at the entry gate to mark attendance as thermal sensors that detect body temperature also. If the temperature is above normal, the data is immediately relayed to the HR system and you may be mandatorily sent on leave.

Offices with sliding doors may have the facial recognition attendance system linked to it. Anyone with above-normal body temperature will be denied access.

These technologies have been developed by Ramco Innovation Lab in Singapore in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lab, which is part of global enterprise software major Ramco Systems, unveiled a facial recognition-based Time & Attendance System – called RamcoGEEK.

This is embedded with temperature recording and IoT sensor doors to enable organisations move towards a ‘Touch-less’ attendance and workplace access, something that could help in checking the virus.

The company  will set up this technology in its India offices and will offer it to other firms looking for such a solution.

In India, one company has come on board and this system will be set over the next one week. The company is initially targeting companies in the Middle East and Africa, which has little access to HR solutions, to offer this product.

“We built this application to help better address a crisis through technology. Containment through a robust attendance and access system with zero contact and temperature measurement can be key to avoid an easy spread of the virus that may take place with the Biometric access system” said Virender Aggarwal, CEO, Ramco Systems.

Aggarwal claims this is the only device in the market that combines thermal scanning and facial recognition with the HR backend.

Many organisations have already suspended biometric attendance systems due to the risk of COVID-19 infection spread. Instead, manual attendance through log-sheet or the internet is being used.

While the product is priced at Rs 50,000 in the global market, in India, the cost is Rs 10,000 (for the device) plus a monthly expense of Rs 25-30 per employee for handling the data. Aggarwal explained that if it was a large company, the monthly expenses could come down.

Why is this needed? 

With the number of COVID-19 reported positive cases in India at 147, there is an urgent need to contain the spread. While social distancing has been advised, not all companies have offered work-from-home facilities to employees.

Aggarwal explained that in this scenario since there is already a scarcity of thermal scanners across India, their device could come to the rescue.

If the temperature is recorded at a regular interval, the chances of one employee infecting several others could be minimised. In countries like Singapore, for instance, companies have been mandated to record the temperature twice a day.

At a later stage, Aggarwal said the company would look to work with lift manufacturers to offer this service wherein using facial technology your office floor is automatically detected without the need to press a button. So the moment you enter the lift, past data is used through facial recognition and you are directly taken to the exact floor.