The aerospace company Draganfly he said that it made the first test flights to the US for its "pandemic drones".
Drones are equipped with sensors and computer vision systems that measure temperaturewinea of the body, breathing and heartbeat from/up to 57 meters. They can also detect if someone is sneezing, coughing or not following social distancing regulations.
The test flights took place in Westport, Connecticut, which has become a corona virus hotspot after a private party where dozens of people were exposed to the virus.
According to Draganfly, Westport will use the technology to protect high-risk groups, such as the elderly, and more generally, crowds gathered in public places.
Westport Police Lt. Anthony Prezioso told local news agency Patch that the tests had been carried out "for the last five days".
"It is expected that this will continue to be the case during the summer months of July and August as we must continue to work to strengthen social distancing measures in order to limit and control the spread of the COVID-19 virus," Prezioso said.
Draganfly says it has worked hard to allay concerns that measures to curb the coronavirus violate privacy.
The company claims that its software uses biometric measurements but does not recognize the face and that all the data it collects is anonymous.
"The system does not collect personalized data and does not identify individuals," said Draganfly CEO Cameron Chell.
"This system, and our cooperation with the public authorities, is so important, because we do not want to find ourselves in such a situation again where we have to take such drastic actions and make such important decisions that affect not only human life, but and the economy and the world population, "said Chell.
