Kiosk Manufacturer Association Temperature Kiosk Public Service Announcement

The Kiosk Manufacturer Association (KMA) is issuing a cautionary advisory regarding temperature check kiosks and fever detection kiosks.

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Kiosk Manufacturer Association

Jul 06, 2020, 11:09 ET

DENVER, July 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As government and corporations across the world develop post-COVID-19 action plans for responsibly reopening, some businesses are scrambling to keep up with the demand for thermal cameras, which many believe can help identify novel coronavirus cases via elevated temperature detection. These devices are also known as NCIT or non-contact infrared thermometers.

We have seen many RFPs from governmental agencies for temperature and thermal sensing devices. Federal such FEMA and the Veterans Administration among them.

There are several pitfalls and challenges with this technology when it comes to detecting somebody with elevated body temperature. The solutions range from sub-$1000 to over $30K depending on accuracy, regulatory certification and more. The KMA reminds the public that declared compliance is only a form of self-regulation. Self-declared UL or EMV compliance is not the same as UL-certified for example.

Some thermal imagers may even incorporate components from Chinese companies that have been officially blacklisted for security reasons recently. There is a rush, in China, to replicate many of the IR array sensors manufactured in the UK and Germany. IR array sensors generally have a very low pixel count (and resolution) but they are the "inexpensive" choice de jour. You can think of it in terms of color resolution with 65K, or 256K, or 64K or 32K image resolution.

The KMA recommends understanding exactly what level solution is being offered. Generally speaking, inexpensive solutions will use inexpensive components. KMA companies serve self-service kiosk markets all over the world with members from Germany, the United Kingdom and the Philippines for example. Regulatory standards such as ADA, HIPAA, PCI/EMV, UL and FDA/medical are understood and applied. KMA members can provide any level of EBT solution you need.

To help educate and provide factual data the KMA has several resources available: