Scientists have developed a robot that can make sure groups of people are abiding by social distancing rules when they are indoors. Researchers at the University of Maryland built a machine that uses CCTV cameras and thermal imaging to determine if people are staying six feet apart, and if someone in a group is potentially sick. The cameras monitor crowds, and will be able to detect when two individuals have been near each other long enough to trigger a break in protocols, and potentially inform them. The team hopes that this type of surveillance will help health officials with contact tracing and assist organizers of some indoor events with controlling crowds and ensuring compliance. A Maryland team created a robot that uses CCTV cameras to detect when people are breaching Covid social distancing protocols.

Facility management is the part of the business that has always been under pressure to'do more for less' and to deliver the magic 10% cost savings that the core business demands of it. As businesses start the slow road to recovery and begin to emerge from the pandemic and enforced lockdowns, facility management and its associated costs will again be under the microscope. Traditionally, these cost savings have come from market testing, outsourcing, re-tendering, re-scoping, head count reduction and other areas of efficiencies that have by now, challenged the simultaneous demand for improved service quality and performance. Whist technology has played an important part of facility management for some time now, through a hunger for data to measure performance and through BIM and SMART or intelligent buildings, enabling informed decisions to be made, there is now a new opportunity for the use of technology in facility management and this is arguably the biggest opportunity yet. Facility management is involved across every organisation, and markets across both the private and public sectors and in commercial and non-commercial entities.

Couples who meet through smartphone dating apps are more motivated to move in together and have children, according to a new study. Researchers found that online daters have stronger long-term relationship goals than peers who hook up in more traditional ways - such as at the office or pub. Tinder and rivals such as Bumble, Match and Plenty of Fish have been criticised for fuelling casual sex. But, contrary to popular belief, spreading the net wider increases the chances of settling down with'Mr or Mrs Right', according to psychologists. An analysis of more than 3,000 over-18s in Switzerland showed couples who met on an app were more motivated by the idea of cohabiting.

Coronavirus pandemic has made many things evident to Canadian exporters, including the fact that investing in automation and technology is the future of exporting. President and chief executive officer of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME), Dennis Darby says, firms that invested in automation are now availing benefits wherein those that didn't are trying to catch up. "The first group is now saying that we need more new technology to meet demand while the other is saying that it's a time to re-think operations." He adds, "With physical distancing and worker absenteeism two key challenges amid COVID-19 pandemic, many Canadian exporters find themselves in the latter category." There's no surprise given the historical lack of investment in automation.

Ireland-based company Standard Access, provider of secure building access solutions and expert in smart real estate management, has developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to help large organisations, entertainment venues and building owners to comply with new public health crowd restrictions in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. By monitoring building capacity in real-time, SAvant enables building operators to adhere to new pandemic-responsive rules on crowd capacity and social distancing. As people gradually return to workplaces, social spaces and public transport, reduced occupancy and physical distancing will be important for employers and venue owners in order to build trust and confidence. The company is currently rolling out enterprise level software that can be incorporated into existing CCTV systems to detect the number of people in a particular area at any one time. SAvant technology also works on 360 degree cameras.

The term'covidiot' is a coronavirus-era slang term for someone who ignores recommendations to limit the spread of the deadly disease – and a new study reveals what makes these people dismiss the warnings. Researchers found that whether or not an individual decides to follow social distancing depends on how much information their working memory can store, which determines mental abilities such as intelligence. Following a survey of 850 Americans, the team discovered that those with more working memory capacity were more likely to comply with recommendations during the early stage of the outbreak. The findings suggest that policy makers need promote compliance behaviors, such as wearing a mask, based on individuals' general cognitive abilities to avoid effortful decisions. The coronavirus began spread across the US earlier this year and when it gained more traction, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a list of recommendations aimed at limiting the spread of the virus.

Robots have taken upon themselves several works requiring human interactions. With a COVID-19-hit world hard-pressed to maintain social distancing, a private firm has deployed seven humanoid robots and other artificial intelligence techniques to reduce human-to-human interaction almost next to nil in its functioning. From carrying files from one person to another to marking the attendance of its employees and taking visitors' temperature and regulating their entry to the office, the robots have taken upon themselves several works requiring human interactions in the office. A robot guards the entry gate to welcome visitors, performs thermal scanning to check their body temperature and sounds an alert if the visitor is not wearing a face mask. The robotic guard's artificial intelligence is synced with the working of the entry gate, which opens up only after it gets a green signal from the robot.

Robots and drones equipped with infrared cameras could patrol holiday destinations and enforce social distancing rules under new EU plans to save the summer break. European Commission tourism proposals imaging'artificial intelligence and robotics [to] underpin public health measures', alongside infection tracing mobile apps. Automatons could appear in places like airports, beaches, resorts and restaurants to make sure that people keep at least 5 feet (1.5 metres) away from each other. On-board infrared cameras could allow the robots to measure people's temperatures from a distance and identify people with a fever that need to self-isolate. The plans come after Singapore employed a Boston Dynamics Spot robot to roam parks, broadcasting a message reminding pedestrians to keep their distance.

A desktop game aimed at helping children see the importance of social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic has racked up 10,000 plays in its first two days. 'Can You Save the World?', co-developed by a UK-based professor of psychology, is a vertically scrolling video game where players are tasked with walking through a virtual city while social distancing. Players are tasked with collecting and depositing personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS workers while avoiding other people and saving lives. The family-friendly educational game, which was released last Friday, helps players of all ages become better at social distancing in the real world during the coronavirus pandemic. Players have to control an avatar to collect PPE while avoiding other people's two-metre infection radius Co-designer Professor Richard Wiseman from the University of Hertfordshire said he was inspired by the tricky task of keeping his distance while outside.

As the pandemic continues its unprecedented spread across the world, researchers of all kinds are turning their resources to fighting the novel coronavirus. Landing AI, a relatively small company founded by noted computer scientist Andrew Ng, shared news last week of an AI-powered tool capable of analyzing real-time video to check if social distancing protocols are being observed properly. Landing AI's social distancing detection tool presents compelling evidence that technology research could be key in curbing the spread of COVID-19. While the tool is still in its early stages, Landing AI hopes sharing news of it now will encourage others to explore similar ideas. Until a vaccine becomes available, social distancing is the best tool we have in curbing the spread of the virus.