The Problem With Fever Detecting Thermal Sunglasses
While the media has promoted using thermal sunglasses to detect fevers, this approach has fundamental problems and, at best, is health theater.
Inside this note, we examine the claims and reported issues, including:
- Who is offering these sunglasses, most notably Rokid
- What it claims to deliver
- What reported issues have been found
- What fundamental problems this approach suffers from
- Why it has been positive press for Rokid
- Rokid's response to our questions
- How this hurts public understanding further
Rokid ********
*****, ***** ** ********, ** * PRC **** ******* ******* ** **** which ********* $***+ *******. *** ******* *********** ** *** types ** ********:********* ******* (**) *******, ******* ** ****** *****, ******** ********(******* ** ******'* *****).
***** ** *** ********, ***** *** not ***** *** ******* ****** ********* for ***** ** *********, *** ******* confirmed ** ****.
Claimed ********
** ***** **,***** ********* * ****** *********** **** *** "**" ******* ****** sunglasses ******** *** ***** **** ** security ****** ** ******* ******** ** the **** ******** ******* **** ** Hangzhou, ********:
********** ****** *********** ** **** **** 0.2 *******. *** ****** **** *** hundred ****** ****** * ******* *** security ****** *** ****** ********' *********** at * ******** ** *** ***** [about * ****].
********* ** *****, *** ********** *** in *** ** ****** ******* ****** the **** *** ******** ********, ************* alerting ***** **** **** **** *****.
*** ********** *** **** **** ** guards ********* ** *** ****'* ********, where ******** **** ** **** ** and **** *** **** ********** ***** ****** ******,*****'* ********* ******.
Rokid ********* ******
***** **** **** * **** ***** on *** ** ******* (***** ** were *** ********* ** ******** ** full). *** ***** **** * ****** of ******, *********:
- ** * * ***** (*.* ****) distance, ******** ** ****** ± *.*°* for ******** *** ****** ± *.*°* for *******. *** ***** **** **** IPVM: "*** *** ********* *** ***** greater ********. ** * * **** distance, *** ********* ** ****** ± 0.4°C *** ******* ******* *** ****** ± *.*°* *** ****** *******; ** 6.6 **** ********, *** ********* ** with ±*.*°* *** ******* ******* *** ± *.*°* *** ****** *******. *** furthest ********* *** ******* ** ** 9.8 ****. "
- ******* **** ******** **********, *****'* **** sheet ******: "* ******* *** ** sent **** ** *** ** * meters [** ****] **** **** ******** body *********** ** ********."
- ***** **** ***** ******* "********* **** of ***** ** ***% **** * reading ******** ** **.*%." *** ***** later **** ** ** *** "*************", and **** ***** ** *** **** "thermal ******* *** ** ***% ****-**** generated *** ********* ** *** ***** without ******* *** ********* ******".
Reported ****** *****
******* **** ************ *********** ****** *** "****** ******" about *** ******** ** *****'* ******, but *** *** *********. *** ***** (non-Rokid) ***** ********* ******** ********* **** raised ******** ** *****:
- * ***** **** ***** ***** ******** guards ***** * *******-********* ****** ** downtown ******* *********** *** ********* **** **°* (***°*), ********** * very **** *****, *** ***** *** temperature *** ****** ** **.*°* (**.*°*) when ******** **** * ******** ***********. The ****** ** **** ** *** security ********* ***.
- ************ ****** ***** **** ******** ******* **°* and **°* ******** **** * *******-******* access ******* **** ******** ******* ****** no *****, **** *** ******** ***** explaining **** *** ******** *** ** her ******** ** *** ***.
Fundamental ******** **** ********
***** *** ***** *********** ******** **** the ******** ********:
- **** **** *** ***** *** *** subjects ******, ** ** **** ** get * ****** **** / ******* of *** *******'* ****. ***** ******* of * **** *** ****** ** result ** ***** ******** **** ***** effectively **** ** *********** ****** ** Rokid's *** **** ***** ***** *****:
- ** ** ****-*** *********** **** * park, ************* ********** **** **** ** sunshine **** **** *********** ********** ******* on ********. ***** **** ** ***** solution "** *** *****-***** *** ****** be **** ** ******* ***" *** does ******** ********** ** ***** *********, night ** ***. ******** ****** ***************, fluctuations ** ******* *********** *** **** levels ******** **** ***** ******.
Rokid ******** ** ****
***** ****** "** **** **** **** testings ***** *** ********" *** "** general ******* *********, *** *********** *********** performance ** **** ******."
***** ******** **** ******* ***** ** its *******, ***** ** *** *** permitted ** **** ********. *** ***** were *** ***** ******* ********* ** sunny/good ********** (***** **** ***-****** ********, sun ** *** *****, *** *** in *** ****) *** *** ****** scenario, ** ********* *********. ********** ** the ******** **** **********, ** ** possible ** *** **** ******** **** high ********, *** ***** ** ******* across ********* *******, ***********, **********, *** positioning ** ****** ** *** ****.
Outdoors **** **** ** ** *******
********* **** ** *** ***** ********* of ******* ***** ******* *** ************ such *******, ** *** ****, ************. This ** * ********** ** *** engineering ********* **** **** ** ******** is *** ********, ******* **** ***** would ** *********** ****** *** **** an ********.
Positive ***** *** *****
******* *** *********** ********, ** ***** has ****** *** *****'* *********. **** if *** ******** ** ********* ** the ****** ** **** *** ** accuracy ****** *** ********* ********* *********** conditions, ***** *** ********* **** * slew ** **********, ******** ***** ***** it *************** ** *******:
- ********:******* ** ***** ******* ***** ************ of ********
- ****:******** **** ******** **** **-******* ***** glasses ** ****** ****** **** *****
- *** **** ****:**-******* ***** ******* *** ******* ****** with *********** ** *****
- ******** *****:** *** ******, ******** ****** "****" to **** *** **** ** *** temperature ** ********
********** ***** ******* *** ****** *** coronavirus-related **** ****, ********* ** ******/************* coverage ** ************ *********' ******. **** observed **** *** ****** ********, ***** enjoyed ******** ******** ******** ***** ** found ** ******** *** *************** ***** *** ***** **** ** thermal ***.
Hurts ****** ************* ** *******
***** **** *** ** **** *** companies ********* **** **** *****, **** increases ****** ********* ** ******** *** unrealistic ******** ** ********* ****** **** more ****** ***** **** **** ********** is **** ******** **** ** ******** is.
*.* * ******** **** ** *********?
**** ***** **** ********** **** *** head *****?
** ** *** ******** *** * fever, ******** **** **** ****** ****? :)
***** ** ** **** **** ** thing ** ***** ** **** *** impression ****** *** ***** *********, ****** than ******** ***** *** *** ****'** intended ** **. *'* **** ** a ***** ***, *** * *** see *** ********** *** *********** ***** be ******* ** ******** ****** **** everything **** ** ****, ****** ** this *** ****.