London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Coronavirus: AI firms deploy fever detection systems in Beijing to fight outbreak

Megvii and Baidu have rolled out advanced temperature screening systems in major Beijing railway stations. National AI champions are taking the lead in Beijing’s latest initiative against the coronavirus outbreak

Beijing authorities are scrambling to deploy more advanced artificial intelligence-powered temperature screening systems at various locations to keep the new coronavirus from spreading, as millions of Chinese return to work after an extended Lunar New Year holiday.

National AI champions Megvii and Baidu, which are both based in the nation’s capital, have introduced their systems in response to the call made last month by Zhongguancun Science City, the administrator of Beijing’s innovation parks, to improve temperature monitoring in the city.

Megvii said on Tuesday that pilot programmes for its remote fever detection system have been set up in the city’s Mudanyuan subway station and at a government administration building in the northwestern district of Haidian. That followed online search giant Baidu’s activation of infrared sensors at Qinghe station on Sunday.

The Beijing government last Friday started temperature measurements at all subway stations in the city, using traditional infrared imaging scanners and handheld thermometers.

Megvii’s remote fever detection system can measure a person’s temperature in a crowd at a distance of up to five metres. The system was designed to work through masks and hats worn by people, with a margin of error within 0.3 degrees Celsius, according to the company.

It said the system, which covers as many as 16 checkpoints at one station, can measure the temperature of up to 15 people per second, quickly locate a person in a group image and send fever alerts, while requiring just one staff on site, according to a Megvii representative.

Baidu’s screening system, by contrast, can detect the temperature of masked people on the move, with a margin of error within 0.05 degrees Celsius. A Baidu representative said the company will soon roll out this system to the subway entrance connected to the Beijing South Railway Station.

Zhongguancun Science City did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the prospects of widening these systems’ deployment, as the central government steps up efforts to stop the coronavirus outbreak.

The advanced temperature detection systems set up in Beijing marks a surge in the use of AI-backed technology in the country to help contain the virus from spreading. Other initiatives have included robotic cleaners spraying disinfectant at segregated wards to AI voice assistants calling people to give advice on home quarantine.

The need for a more advanced screening system comes as the coronavirus outbreak has resulted in more than 500 deaths, overtaking the number of fatalities caused by the Sars epidemic in 2003, and more than 27,000 confirmed cases around the country, according to China’s National Health Commission.

In many public areas, such as supermarkets and rail stations, monitoring staff typically use handheld temperature-measuring devices to screen each person at a site. Apart from being a slow and relatively inefficient approach, it also puts staff at risk of being infected.

Still, efforts to swiftly roll out these intelligent temperature screening systems nationwide could be hampered by the virus outbreak. Certain cities are locked down and transport is restricted.

Huazhong Numerical Control, for example, is based in the city of Wuhan – the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak – which has slowed down the company’s production and delivery of infrared sensors for temperature monitoring systems across the country. The firm must obtain a special government approval to transport and deliver goods, according to Li Kai, the company’s head of infrared products, in a phone interview.

“The demand is far larger than our production capacity and our inventory is zero,” he said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
×