Most international travellers arriving and departing from Los Angeles International Airport probably haven’t noticed the thermal imaging cameras mounted on what look like streetlights inside the terminal, writes Texas Instruments’ Apoorva Awasthy.

But travellers with a temperature above 38°C may be familiar with the new thermal screening technology deployed there this summer. That’s because airport officials are advising anyone with a fever not to fly.
While the initial screening program at LAX is voluntary, it may be a harbinger of more proactive efforts to identify individuals who may have a fever when entering public facilities and office buildings. Welcome to the new normal. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, building designers and managers are deploying technology to make buildings safer and more efficient. Smart building technology, from visitor screening to demand-controlled ventilation, is helping protect an increasingly health-conscious public.
Thermal imaging for high volume screening

A major challenge for building managers today is how to protect public health so that people are comfortable approaching and being inside a building.
Thermal imaging as seen in figure 1 is one of the tools building managers use to increase public safety in high-traffic areas. Handheld and walkthrough systems – similar in appearance to metal detectors – quickly perform contactless temperature checks to screen for individuals running a fever.