Scientists build robot that uses CCTV cameras to determine if people are social distancing - Daily Mail

Scientists have developed a robot that can make sure groups of people are abiding by social distancing rules when they are indoors.

A Maryland team created a robot that uses CCTV cameras to detect when people are breaching Covid social distancing protocols.

Once a breach on social distancing is detected, officials are able to notify people, and let them know they are taking part in unsafe activities.

Pictured: A group of people breaking social distancing protocol (top), and Frozone reacting (bottom).

The cameras detect when certain clusters of people have been standing within six feet of each other for an extended period of time.

Frozone is self-guided, and once it finds the group breaking protocols, it will directly notify them and tell them to separate.

If two people walk with each other, though, and are near each other for a long period of time despite remaining moving, it will detect them as contacts. 

The system can detect when people are walking by each other (top left) and not count it as a close contact, while also placing two people who walk with each other (bottom left) for an extended period of time into the same cluster