There! Up in the sky! It is a bird! No, it’s a plane! No, it’s superman! No, it is a spy drone.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-01/new-surveillance-technology-could-beat-coronavirus-but-at-a-cost/12201552
“If you don't feel comfortable signing up to the Government's COVIDSafe tracking app, then you probably won't be happy to hear about the pandemic drone. Key points:
• New technology is making mass tracking of people and their health easier
• A pandemic drone can pick up heart rate, body temperature and monitor social distancing
• But the technology is also increasing concerns about privacy and data collection
Software being developed at the University of South Australia in conjunction with Canadian drone manufacturer Draganfly could see drones used to monitor the health of people, including spotting sneezes and tracking whether they have a fever. It is just one way technology could be used to track and slow the spread of a virus like COVID-19. But experts warn that new surveillance technologies must include privacy safeguards before they are adopted. Professor Javaan Chahl, who holds positions with the University of South Australia and the Department of Defence, is developing software for the pandemic drone. The device uses thermal cameras and artificial intelligence to measure some of the indicators of coronavirus in groups of people: heart rate, body temperature, coughing and sneezing. "Heart rate can be measured in two different ways," he told 7.30. "From a drone, we normally would measure it by a subtle change in skin tone that's associated with each heartbeat. "And it's caused by changing the volume of blood in the skin. It also causes slight movement." The drone would also be able to detect a cough from "15-20 metres away", while heart rate can be detected within 6-8 metres with only a "very small" margin of error. It could also be used to monitor social distancing. While still six months from completion, Professor Chahl hoped it would be used to collect data on a large scale and track patterns of behaviour to paint a broad picture of the spread of COVID-19 in a city, rather than monitor individuals. "When you look at thousands of people, or millions of people, you'll start to see a trend," he said. "And I think we don't have systems in place to surveil for that, particularly. "It would be very useful to know how many people are suffering from symptoms associated with respiratory distress.”
Feel uncomfortable with this? I certainly do. But, be sure it is coming our way.