Entering a Building May Soon Involve a Thermal Scan and Facial Recognition

Businesses install facial recognition software that simultaneously screens for fevers in what could become the new normal

The temperature of your body is no longer considered private information. That’s the stance that businesses around the world are taking as they install thermal imaging cameras, often equipped with facial recognition technology, in their buildings in an attempt to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Airports, office buildings, fast food restaurants, government offices, hospitals, shopping centers, universities—all sorts of places are rapidly adopting the technology. It’s a movement one might call the automation of temperature checks. 

The goal is to spot—and turn away—anyone walking into an establishment with a fever. This theoretically reduces the spread of the virus and brings some peace of mind to people in the building. Or, at the very least, it provides some legal protection for the establishments, which can point to the technologies to show that they’ve taken measures to protect their occupants from the virus. 

Thermal cameras map body heat based on infrared radiation. The cameras typically target key locations on the face to get the closest indicator of body temperature. A temperature of over 100.4 °F (38 °C) indicates a fever—a key symptom of COVID-19. 

Many companies are pairing thermal cameras with facial recognition software and personnel directories. Employees check in by standing in front of a camera or kiosk, which identifies them by their face and simultaneously performs a thermal scan. It takes just a couple of seconds, and there is no contact.

The technology is already widely used in China and South Korea, but countries elsewhere in the world are adopting it as well. The TempSafe™ is one of many providers. Prior to the pandemic, the California-based company sold interactive kiosk systems that replaced key cards and fobs as ways to access buildings. Since the pandemic, the company has added the option of a thermal camera to its system, and markets it as a kiosk where employees can check into work.

has sold about 500 of these devices in the United States to senior living homes, office buildings, manufacturing facilities, and fast food restaurants. “Businesses want to get back to work and get something in place to keep their employees safe.”  

TempSafe’s software relies on proprietary algorithms to both identify the face and find the correct facial regions for temperature scanning. Research suggests that the temperature at the inner corner of the eye is the best indicator of core body temperature. That’s where TempSafe’s device takes a measurement, along with the forehead. The software is accurate within half a degree Fahrenheit.

U.S. federal agencies that would normally oversee such matters have cleared the way for these devices in an effort to hasten the response to the pandemic. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which oversees medical and diagnostic devices, said it would temporarily allow companies to market thermal cameras that have not been vetted. The guidelines say a second, more reliable screening method, such as a clinical-grade thermometer, should be used to double check results. But the guidelines are not legally enforced.