Police in Connecticut are testing a drone that can detect sick individuals from up to 190 feet away.
The “pandemic drone” is being tested by the Westport Police force under the watchful eye of Draganfly, the company responsible for creating the drone.
With a sensor suite rolled into a small package, the drones can detect sneezing, fevers, respiration rates and more.
“One of the major problems for cities and towns like Westport in managing and responding to a pandemic like the COVID-19 virus, is finding out who could be infected and how widespread the disease has spread,” Westport official Jim Marpe said in a statement. “One way to do this is to look for underlying symptoms. By teaming up with Draganfly and the UniSA team led by Defence Chair of Sensor Systems Professor Javaan Chahl, we are able to remotely look at valuable life saving data and better manage current and future health emergencies.”
According to NBC Connecticut, the state has around 19,815 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 8.320 of those cases have been in Fairfield County.
Officials hope the drones will change the rules of the pandemic-fighting game.
“Using drones remains a go-to technology for reaching remote areas with little to no manpower required. Because of this technology, our officers will have the information and quality data they need to make the best decision in any given situation,” Westport Police Chief Foti Koskinas said in a news release.
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