COVID surveillance: Tender for thermal cameras to detect body temp to be opened Friday

New Delhi, September 10

The railways’ ambitious plan of installing thermal cameras at stations across its network to screen passengers for coronavirus seems to be finally taking shape, with the tender for their rates opening on Friday.

The cameras that detect a passenger’s body temperature have helped Central Railways, one of the few zones to have such cameras, to deny boarding to around 30 passengers since they were installed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) from June-end.

The initial expression of interest tender floated by RailTel for these COVID-19 surveillance cameras had to be scrapped after Indian firms alleged that the tender specifications favoured a Chinese company. Later, it was floated again with revised specifications.

The railways said that these cameras are the need of the hour as a larger footfall is expected at stations and accurate cameras are needed to cater to temperature and screening requirements.

A RailTel spokesperson confirmed that the tender will be opened on Friday at 3 pm.

The specifications for cameras include temperature screening with facial recognition, simultaneous temperature screening of multiple people, detecting whether people are wearing masks and raising timely alarms for those not wearing them.

It also includes a crucial specification called “black body” temperature which the ability of the cameras to accurately measure temperatures emitted by a person to find out whether she has a fever or not.

The Central Railway is using FebriEye thermal cameras which detect temperatures of multiple people entering a premise at once and record their temperature automatically even as the passengers keep on moving, said Chief Public Relations Officer (Central Railway) Shivaji Sutar.

“Presently all passengers boarding mail/express trains at CSMT and LTT are being scanned by FebriEye at entry points for higher temperature before going to the platform for boarding. All railway staff and officers coming for duty at these two major stations are also being screened through this AI (Artificial Intelligence)-based camera.

“Till date, twenty-eight such passengers have been detected with above normal body temperature and advised for medical check up besides further necessary action. They were not allowed to travel,” he said.

FebriEye is an AI-based thermal screening system for real time, automated and non-intrusive monitoring to ensure that a person doesn’t have a high fever.

FebriEye is equipped with “Black Body”, a constant temperature source that ensures accuracy in temperature readings of up to 0.3 degree Celsius (+/-).

While the initiative to install such cameras became a necessity after the coronavirus pandemic, the railways was already on its way to completely overhaul security at railway stations through the use of facial recognition technology backed by artificial intelligence.

It also planned to link the facial recognition system (FRS) with existing databases such as the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) to identify criminals prowling railway stations.

Other than Central Railways, North Frontier Railway zone, South Western zone and Southern Railways have floated tenders for such cameras. Thermal bullet cameras have also been installed at Hyderabad and Secunderabad stations. PTI