ProCam Low-Cost Open Thermal Temperature Project
An engineering professor in Switzerland is building what he hopes will be the world's lowest-cost fever camera, costing a fraction of commercial offerings today.
In this post, based on an interview the project's founder Touradj Ebrahimi, we examine the:
- Professor's Background
- ProCam Timeline, Business Model Details
- ProCam Purpose: "Very Low Cost", Several Hundred Dollars
- Multiple Cheap Sensors Key to Low Cost
- ProCam AI Use Details
- Number of Sensors Currently Unknown
- Accuracy Unknown So Far
- ProCam Won't Measure Specific Increments
- Effective Distance Of 7 Meters
- Long List of Challenges
******, ***** *** *** **** ***** tested ***, ** ***** ** ******* this ** ********* ******* ***-******* ******* and ***** ** ** ****** *** "the *****".
**** ** ********* ** *** ***-**** fever *** ********, ** ***** ********* is ******* ******* ** *** **** differences ******* '******' *** '*****' **** the ******* ********** ** ********* ****** in *** ****.
*******, ******'* ******* **** **'* ************* possible ** ****** **** * ******, and *********** **** *** ******** **** be *****, **** *** ****** **** only **** ******* ******* *** ** "above-average" *********** ** *** (** * certain ****** ** **********).
Background ** *********
******* ********** ** ******* ********* ** *** Swiss ******* ********* ** **********, ******** (EPFL), *** ** ********'* *** *********** *******.********, *** *** * **.*. ** electrical ***********, *** ************ *********** ** video *********** ****** **** ******* *******. He ** **** *** **-******* ** startup*********, ***** *********** ** ***** ******** cameras ** **** ** ****** ** videos *** *************.
ProCam ********, ******** *****
****** ** **** *** - ** was ******* ** ***** ** **** of ** ****-*********** ********* *** *** a ************** ** ******** *** *** ********.
****** **** **** * ****** ********** ******** **********:
*** ***** ********** *** ********* *** June *** *** ***** **** *** "October, ********, ** ********", ******** ****. No ***** ******* *** *** **** performed *** ******** ******* ** ** so ** *** ****** ******.
****** ** * "*******, *** * product" - ** ** ***-***-****** *** there ** ** **** ** **** manufacture/sell *******. ******, ** *** ****** proves **********, *** **** ** ** license *** ********/******** ******* *** **** to ***** *** ****, ******** ** would ****** *** ************ ******* ***** scale *****************.
ProCam *******: "**** *** ****", ******* ******* *******
******** **** **** *** ****** ***** be ****** ** "******* ******* *******" so **** ****** ****** ***** *** it. *** *** ** ********** *** in ***** *****, *******, *** ***** places **** ***'* ****** ****-*** ******* cams:
** **** ** *** ** **'* possible ** *** * **** *** cost [*****] ******. **** ** ***** cameras *** ****, **** *********.
*** ***** **** ******* ** ****** is *******, ***** ******** **** **** be ******** ** ********** ******* ** a ******* ****** *** **** ******** the ******** ****** ** ****** *********** to **-********* ******** ********.
Multiple ***** ******* *** ** *** ****
** *** *****, ****** **** ******** cheap ******* *** ***** ****** *********, off-the-shelf **********:
*** ****** ** *** ***** ***** now ** *** **** ** **** popular, *** *** *****, ***** ** 32 * ** ******. ** ***** Francs, **'* ***** ** *** *** sensor [$**]. *** *** **** ** the ****** ** ********* **, ********* a ***** **.
****** ******** ** ******** ** ±*°*, ***** is ********* *** *** *****- **** fever *** ************* **** ******** ** ±0.3°C ******* *******, *** ************* ********* specify * ******* ±*.*°* ** ********.
ProCam ** *** *******
******'* ******* ** ** *** ** to ************* ******* **** **** ******** level:
** *** *** ***** *** ***** that ** ********* **** **** ** the *******, *** *** ******** **** that *** **** **** ** ********* and ******* **********, *** *** ****** it. ** **** ****** *** ****/***** 3 [*******] *******, *** **** ** able ** ** **** ***** ** 0.5 ** ***** ****. ** ******* on *** *** ***** *** ***** and *** **** ******* *** ****.
****** **** *** * *************** ********* to ******** ********** *** ******* ** filter *** *** *****:
** *** ** **-***** *************** ******** which ** **** **** ****** **** can ** ** ** * ***** upsampling *** *** ******* **** ** be ***** **** - *** *** get ** * * *, ** every ****** ***** ******* ** ****** [...] ** **** *** **** **** each ****** ** ***** ** ******* the ******** ** **** ****** ** modelling *** ***** ******* ** *** methods **** ** ***** ***** ** Wigner-Ville ************ **”
**** ***** ******** ******* ** **** of ********** ******* ** ********** ******** showing **** ** *** ** **** in **** *** ************ *** ***** cameras, ******* ** ***** *** **** any.
******: ******** ******* *** ************* *** ********* * ********* * ****** ******** **** ************** detects ******* ******* *** * **** and ***** ***** ***********. *******, ***** is ** ******** **** ********* ****** uses ** ** ******** ********, ***** is **** ****** ********.
Number ** ******* ********* *******
****** ********* *** * ******* *** because ** ****'* **** ****** ***, Ebrahimi *****'* **** *** **** ** will ******** *** ** ******:
***** *** **'* ***** ***-**** *******, that's *** ****** ** *** ****** but ***** *** ** ****** ** maybe *** **** ****. ** ***'* know, ** **** ***. *** ***** that ** *****, *** * *** of ****** ***** ********* **** **********, is **** *** **** ******* ** the **** ****, *** ****** *** quality *** ********.
Accuracy ******* ** ***
******** **** *** *** **** *** accurate ****** **** ** ** ** has *** **** ****** ***:
* ***'* **** **** **** ** the ********, ****'* *** ****, *** I ***'* **** ******* ***** **** until ** ** *****.
ProCam ***'* ******* ******** **********
***** ****** ******** ** ********** ******* ************* ******** **** *********** ********** (*.*. 36.4°C). *******, ******** **** ****** **** only **** ******* ******* *** ** "above-average" **** ***********, ** * ******* degree ** **********:
** ****** ** *** **** ** will ** ******* * ****** ****** someone's **** *** ****** ***°*; **** would **** *** **** ********** *********** [to **** **** *** ***********] ** 101°F, *** ** *** *** ***** down **** ****. ** *** ***** down *** **** **: **** **** person **** * *********** ***** *** range ** ********* **** ******* ** in ***** ** **** ******? ** doesn't **** ** *** ****** **** the ***********, **** **** **** ****** has * ****** *********** **** *******. We ***** *** * *********** ********* that ******* *** * ****** *********** than ******* - ** **'* **% that's *** **** **** ** **%.
**** ******** ***** *********** *******. *******, the *****'* *** ********* ************ *** electrotechnical ********, *** ***,************ ********** ***** **** **** ******* ********* body *********** ** *.*°* **********:
*** ** ************* ************** ***** ********* ** ****. ****. Ebrahimi *** *** ***** ** **** requirement **** ** ******* ** **.
Effective ******** ** * ******
******'* ******* ********* ******** ** * meters (** ****), ******** ******* *** not *** ***** ******* **** **** actually ** ******** ******, ******** ****.
**** ** * **** **** ******** for ***** **** *** **** ** skeptical **** ****** ***** **** ****** a ****** ******. **** ** *** example **** *** *** ********* * "properly ********** **********" - ******* *** distance ** **** * *** **** away **** **** ****** **********:
Camera **** "*****" ** *******, ******* *******
** ***** ** **** **** ******** as **** ** ********, ****** ** slated ** ** ******* *******/************ *** USB *** *** **** ******* ** mounting/screws/etc, ******** **** ****.
******: *** ***** **** ** * "socket ******" (*** *****), **** ** "external ***** **** *** ** ****** screwed ** ***** ** * ****, a ****** ** * ***** ** a ******," ******** ****. *** ******* would **** "* ** * ******".
Long **** ** **********
**** *********** *** ******* *** ****** faces * **** **** ** **********:
- Accuracy. The big question for ProCam is whether it can actually obtain accurate fever estimations for people or not. IPVM does not believe this is possible via a combination of cheap sensors and AI.
- **********.****** ***'* ******* ******** ************ *** people *** **** ******* **** "***** average". **** **** ******* ** *********** standards *** ***** ****** *********, ***** explicitly ******* ******** *********** ******** *** each ******, ******* ****** ***** **** itself ** * ******* ****** *********.
- **************.*** **** ** ****** ** ** bring ***** ******* ** *** ******, however, ** **** ************* ***********, ***** ********* ** **** * technically *********/******* **** **** **'* ****** likely ******* ********* *********** ** ****** of **** * ****** ***** **** to ******** ************** ******, ***** *********, unnecessary **********, ***.
- AI *** **** *******. ProCam's use of AI is unprecedented as IPVM is not aware of any studies or existing products which use algorithms to the extent ProCam does. Ebrahimi was unable to provide such evidence too. Perhaps this AI will work, however, ProCam would be a first.
Conclusion
*** *** ******* *****, **** ** skeptical ** ******, *** ** *** happy ** **** ** **** * prototype ***** ***. **********, *** ***** in **** ********* ** ********* *********** new ********** *** ** ** ***** watching ******* ****** (** ******* ****) could, ******* *** **********, ******** ***** a ***** *** ******** ***** *** for *** ******.
***** *** * *** ** ***** announcing ********** ** *** **** *****. The **** ***** **** **** ******* adds ** ** ***** ***** ** sharpen *** ********. ***** ** * hobby ** * ****. *** **** else, **** ** *** ******.*****://***.******-*******.***/*******-***********/*******/********/***-**-*****-****-***-*******-******-***-****-****-***
***********! * ** **** * ******* but ***, **** **** ****, ***** ago * ***** **** ***** ******* I ***** **** ******** ****** ****** in ** *** **** **** ********** some ************ ****** *** * ******** of *** *****.