US lawmaker using AI, drones to curb COVID-19 spread

US lawmakers from the state of Alabama are using drones and AI to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

The Alabama State Senate has adopted the Draganfly Smart Vital system and its related health safety protocols to help detect potential COVID-19 in government buildings and ensure government can be maintained during the pandemic.

The Smart Vital screening system and platform is being used to provide data to the Alabama State Senate that will enable those potentially at risk to receive an immediate COVID-19 test. It will also monitor the number of people screened, the number of elevated vital signs detected and the time it took for each screening.

“As the current pandemic continues, we are committed to provide a safe place for our staff and visitors to ensure there is no interruption in the work that needs to be done for the citizens of Alabama,” Alabama State Senate Secretary Pat Harris said.

“We are confident that the implementation of Draganfly’s Vital Intelligence technology will help to ensure an important layer to existing protocols that assist us in identifying and mitigating the risk of the spread of COVID-19.”

Meanwhile, Alabama State University in Montgomery has been using Draganfly’s drone technology, coupled with a pathogen and virus sanitiser made by Varigard, to disinfect surfaces in its athletic stadiums and arenas.

The state campus is also using the company’s Vital Intelligence Smart Thermal + Vital screening and Social Distancing Awareness system to measure real-time anonymous data such as temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate readings to detect potential hotspots.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Andrey Popov