Facial recognition tech also takes temperature of workers

The Biosite Facial Recognition system has been installed at site entry and exit points at the site in Scotland

Robertson Construction has deployed facial recognition technology on its National Robotarium project in Edinburgh, Scotland, to support contactless site entry for the workforce.

The Biosite Facial Recognition system has been installed at site entry and exit points to provide a non-contact biometric access control solution with mandatory fever screening. It means operatives will have their facial template matched against the workforce database and have their temperature checked before access to site is granted.

The system will enable Robertson to capture and monitor workforce data on site, in real time, to support health and safety, efficiency and compliance, as well as help manage coronavirus transmission risk.

It is the first Robertson project to introduce a facial recognition system with integrated temperature measurement.

The non-contact facial recognition system requires no secondary authentication, such as pin entry, and has been developed to prioritise data security – no worker data is stored on the camera device and the facial matching process takes place remotely, which also improves accuracy.

Richard Cairns, senior project manager at Robertson Construction, said, “We were looking for an effective access control system that would enable us to easily and accurately track critical workforce data. It was also crucial for us to have a non-contact system to comply with site safety guidance in Scotland, and that would meet our own stringent safe operating procedures in relation to the ongoing concerns around Covid-19.

“We have used facial recognition systems previously, but Biosite’s solution means we can capture and monitor workforce information whilst providing a contactless entry system with the additional reassurance of fever screening.”

The site will be the first National Robotarium in the UK, a research facility for robotics and artificial Intelligence.