COVID-19 Can Create Opportunity for IoT in the Caribbean
being worn , identification of a viral symptoms as high temperature , coughs and sneezes ; adherence to social distancing ; as well as the total occupancy within an area . A trigger is generated once a minimum threshold ( which is user defined , for example if no mask is detected ) is exceeded . A customized alert and notification would be pushed to an individual ’ s mobile phone , either via direct WiFi or SMS or through an application ( which would provide additional details as location ).
This platform eliminates the reliance of the user ’ s personal devices ( wearables and smart phones ) to provide all of the data needed for adherence to the COVID-19 protocols . Privacy is another benefit as it reduces the amount of confidential user data accessed . However , the focus on privacy may increase the difficulty in identifying the violating person . A potential solution would involve a real-time response ( e . g . an audible descriptor identifying and issuing a warning ) aimed at the perpetrator , in which analyzed data determined the individual ’ s relative unique characteristics and location as compared to elements in the immediate vicinity .
WiFi is a cost-effective communication solution 58 , which is essential for SMEs during the negative economic phase during the COVID-19 period .
Each of the IoT sensors communicate with the Cloud applications through a wired or wireless Ethernet connection 59 , with the latter being a flexible option for physical placement .
Feasibility discussions with Amazon Web Services ( AWS ) identified the AWS “ Connected Home – Telemetry ” architecture 60 ( Fig . 15 ) which captured the key project parameters . To be effective , the processing of video data requires real-time analysis of the images . The AWS Kinesis 61 is a potential solution as it “ makes it easy to securely stream video from connected devices to AWS for analytics , machine learning ( ML ), playback , and other processing ” together with the AWS Rekognition platform to perform the analytical functions to identify activities ( as cleansing and sanitizing hands ), facial comparisons ( for mask verification ), people counting ( for social distancing ). This modular approach , together with the benefits of the AWS Cloud application
58
59
60
61
- 86 - November 2020