Vehant Technologies beats Covid-19 blues with AI-powered products

Known to be a pioneer in Artificial Intelligence (AI) based solutions, the start-up has sensed an opportunity in the 'colossal crisis'.

For Vehant Technologies, a start-up incubated by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi in 2005, the Covid-19 pandemic has spurred innovation that prepares the governments and industries to face a ‘new normal’.

Known to be a pioneer in Artificial Intelligence (AI) based solutions, the start-up has sensed an opportunity in the ‘colossal crisis’.

“Over the last three months, we have developed solution for AI based automated temperature monitoring. It combines thermal camera and visual camera. The dual system called Febri eye is applicable for an array of premises. The system is meant for face mask detection,” said Kapil Bardeja, chief executive officer & co-founder of Vehant Technologies.

The company also offers ‘Black Body’, a constant temperature source that ensures accuracy in temperature readings of up to 0.3 degree Celsius (+/-). The device helps maintain a stable thermodynamic ambience which is not feasible in the absence of a black body. The camera calibrates the readings.

A black body is an ideal body that fully absorbs impinging electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength. Neither reflection, nor transmission occur on it. A black body radiates at every wavelength, the maximum possible energy for all potential emitters.

The radiation density is independent of angles here. The black body forms the basis for understanding the physical principles of non-contact temperature measurement technology and for calibrating infrared measuring devices.

Bardeja claimed that while there is a glut of China made products in the market, they lack a black body.

“We are focused on highly accurate systems. Sixty per cent of our components are made in India while the rest 40 per cent are imported. Moreover, the software which is at the core of the system is developed indigenously”, he added.

The company is eyeing sales of around 100,000 automated cameras over the next three to six months. The cameras could be installed at airports, railway stations and metro stations which are bracing up for full scale operations as lockdown curbs ease.

The devices installed with a black body tend to provide more accurate temperatures as they operate according to Plank's Law.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also recommends that thermal scanner systems have an accurate black body temperature

“Since its emergence, Covid-19 has led to a global pandemic. To combat its spread, various means and tools are getting popular nowadays and widely put in practice. One of the primary and elementary practice is to screen body temperature of human body using thermography using thermal cameras. Its popularity is gaining attention and thermal cameras are getting deployed by various agencies to achieve the objective. However, effectiveness of its usage to measure human body temperature with high accuracy and precision without disruption of services is an important factor which should be considered before deployment of such systems. Capturing temperature with +/- 0.3 degrees Celsius variation or less shall be ensured,” said Gurpreet Khurana, senior advisor- safe, smart & sustainable smart cities, IIT -Roorkee.

Besides automated cameras, Vehant Technologies has rolled out the Covid Analytics suite that finds applications in industries, government buildings, hotels and commercial complexes.

“Our Covid Analytics can be used for large factories and industries. It’s a pure software moduling product which detects social distancing and face mask. We already have our go-to market strategies. A lot of large industries and hotel chains are considering to buy our products. Commercial complexes are also keen on buying these products”, said Bardeja.

The company demonstrated Covid Analytics model in Hyderabad, Lucknow, Bhopal and Raipur and is in detailed discussions with the Telangana and Chhattisgarh governments.

Engaged primarily in the production of security scanners, Vehant Technologies had confronted slowdown in government orders post the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease. It overcame the revenue gap by developing products that help both the government and industries operate without hassles in a post Covid-19 environment.

Fifteen years into this business, Vehant ships its products to 12 countries. It has a subsidiary in Netherlands tasked with promoting products in the European market. The company also has an office in Jakarta to cater to the demand in South East Asia.