New kit detects employee fever at access points

A Kiwi Internet of Things (IoT) specialist has released the Adroit Fever Kit, a no-touch, portable device that enables employee screening at all access points to a business. It is already being deployed in the US and distributed around the world.

The New Zealand Ministry of Health guidance lists a high temperature (at least 38°C) as an important symptom of COVID-19, so monitoring of employee temperature is a key action businesses can take to protect their workplace. 

The Adroit Fever Kit not only detects a high temperature, it immediately alerts both the individual and the venue owner, so steps can be taken to protect both the individual and those they may be in contact with before entering the workplace.

The key benefits of the Kit when compared to a handheld thermometer are that it is automated so doesn’t require a person to operate or be responsible for decision making, it is significantly faster and more accurate, and provides a clear pass or fail result.

Speed of operation is also a key benefit, with one device able to screen up to 300+ individuals for fever per hour. The detector uses an industrial grade thermometer to take three measurements in under 5 seconds, and operates on a rechargeable battery for 12 hours or can be plugged into mains power.

Adroit’s partner Aridea is already shipping the first prototypes in the US with very high demand. In turn, they’ve been working with leading Global IoT distributor Libelium to distribute the rest of the world, with Adroit looking after New Zealand.

Adroit Founder Ulrich Frerk (pictured) says that the company is “over the moon” to be distributing the Adroit Fever Kit.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have been granted the opportunity to distribute a device helping businesses get back to work as well as keep their own teams safe. 

“The Adroit Fever Kit not only enables the business to do business with confidence in the health of its employees, it records important data to support contact tracing activity if necessary,” he said.

“Visitor access to rest homes and geriatric wards; event and hospitality venues; school students and teachers; public spaces; factory workplace worker screening… these are all incredibly important areas where this technology can have an immediate benefit.”

The detector can be provided in a stand-alone version that provides measurements only, or can be connected via the mobile data network to a cloud platform with dashboards and reporting. This is useful to display results from tests conducted by each detector, and integrate data such as total tests per day and passes/fails into a business’s existing applications and contract tracing apps.

The IoT network powering Adroit Fever Kit is run by digital services company, Vodafone New Zealand. Head of IoT, Michelle Sharp says they are delighted to be helping provide actionable data in the fight against COVID-19.

“Although we have been fortunate to have low numbers of Coronavirus in New Zealand when compared to a lot of other countries, the threat is still there and the Adroit Fever Kit is giving business owners peace of mind that they are keeping their employees safe,” she says.

“A huge advantage of connecting through an IoT network is the immediate access to real-time data, something that is so important in this case as the sooner we identify potential COVID-positive people in the community, the sooner we can stem any spread.”

Adroit is currently working on additional features for the device such as the addition of card readers and connection to access control systems that will identify each person taking the test and then based on test results perform functions such as unlocking a door.

“We’re confident that this technology will become standard equipment for business, not just during the current COVID-19 pandemic, but for the future as well,” Frerk said.

To see a video of the Fever Kit in action click here.