ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Nursing homes and schools are getting some added help in keeping their residents safe thanks to thermal facial recognition cameras and touchless check-in technology.

“COVID really helped expedite the temperature features, also detecting if someone is wearing a mask or not,” said Chrissy Casilio-Bluhm with Copier Fax Business Technologies in Buffalo.

Casilio-Bluhm said their touchless devices can log temperature and information instantly and automatically. She said it’s essential for admission into places like nursing homes and schools in the age of coronavirus. 

“[Especially] with nursing homes, we have a lot of vulnerable residents, we need to keep them as safe as possible,” said Casilio-Bluhm.

The Documentelligence Thermal Facial Recognition Camera is a single-screen temperature and facial recognition display. It can give an instant temperature check, mask detection, and facial recognition for contact tracing and visitor registration.  It combines a thermal camera and industrial-grade binocular wide dynamic camera in one stand-alone system, and is totally hands free.

Casilio-Bluhm said it frees up staff members from having to take tests or being in close contact. It can also be set up outside, so if a person is found to be sick with COVID, they’ll never even enter the building. 

“COVID-19 has really shone a light on the need for infection control,” said Travis Masonis, Chief Information Officer and Vice President of IT at Jewish Senior Life in Rochester.

Masonis said they are always looking at new tech to help protect their 600 residents on campus. The devices they have installed are from Copier Fax Business Technologies, and are at major entry points around the facility.   

“So we care for probably the most vulnerable population when it comes to COVID-19 here. So we look at technologies all the time,” he said.

Masonis said if he had to guess, these devices might be around for awhile, even if a coronavirus vaccine is discovered.  “It’s going to be useful regardless of what happens with COVID-19,” he said.

For a more in-depth demonstration of the thermal recognition camera, click here.