We had the pleasure of talking to Jeff Meissner, VP of Global Sales at Seek Thermal and a now expert in the new world of “do we have to get our temperatures taken everywhere we go?!” We are fascinated by how timely the technology is at their company and wanted to know more about how it’s playing into current affairs.
Seek Thermal is an infrared thermal imaging company that designs products with a technology that isn’t necessarily new, but as the cost has come down it’s being used now more than ever. While there are some competitors in the market, the industry is largely influenced by the scientists behind the thermal sensor that is inside most of these products. Those men are Bill Parish, PhD and Tim Fitzgibbons, PhD, co-founders of Seek Thermal and forty year veterans in the field of heat seeking technology.
Their products help do a few important things: see heat otherwise invisible to the naked eye – and tell us how hot it is. Firefighters use this technology to find people in smoke-filled buildings, and now companies are using this to scan their employees before clocking in for work.
Something we love about Seek Thermal is that it’s U.S. based, being manufactured in Santa Barbara, CA. We also like how accessible it is, especially compared to other companies. Their hand-held and also free standing thermal imaging systems are priced and designed for people and businesses to actually use them. Competitors are selling products that are $10,000 – $30,000, making the products so expensive that they’re either out of budget for companies, or people are afraid that if they use them they’ll break them.
Here is more about Seek Thermal and how it’s being implemented in the workplace right now.
Seek Thermal designs and manufactures infrared thermal imaging products that see heat. Our cameras provide important temperature information useful in solving everyday problems that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye. By reducing the cost of the technology, the applications have expanded allowing Seek Thermal to help firefighters, commercial businesses, homeowners, contractors, law enforcement, and the automotive industry. And now you’re seeing the technology used for non-contact temperature screening in the wake of COVID-19.
Because of the current crisis, essential manufacturing companies have become a major focus for us because they need to remain open – and we can help. Our country is desperately trying to keep facilities and supply chains open, and Seek Thermal aims to help them maintain a safer work environment with a simple temperature screening system that’s affordable.
The company was founded in 2012 by two industry pioneering scientists, Bill Parrish, PhD and Tim Fitzgibbons PhD, who spent 40 years advancing the state of military and professional-grade thermal imaging technology.
The company was founded in 2012 by two industry pioneering scientists, Bill Parrish, PhD and Tim Fitzgibbons PhD, who spent 40 years advancing the state of military and professional-grade thermal imaging technology. Their mission is to make thermal imaging an accessible, everyday tool, so people can do their jobs safer, faster and smarter. As a leading supplier of thermal sensors to the Public Safety market and one of the largest suppliers of all commercial thermal sensors globally, Seek Thermal has built hundreds of thousands of thermal cameras used worldwide.
In essence, Seek Scan works just like a temporal thermometer – but from a safe social distance. The system can be installed in lobbies, hallways and other key access points to help businesses and institutions reopen a safer environment for their workforce and customers.
Seek Scan is specifically designed and calibrated to deliver accurate skin temperature measurements while enabling social distancing protocols. In seconds, the system automatically detects a face, identifies the most reliable facial features for measurement, and displays an estimated body temperature using skin temperature as a proxy. A visual and audible alert is provided if someone is warmer than the customizable alarm temperature.
There are many benefits, but I’ll start with price, accuracy and ease of deployment. Seek Scan is thousands of dollars cheaper than our competitors, has ±0.5°F accuracy, and can be running in minutes will no special equipment or training.
Unlike typical industrial thermal cameras, Seek Scan was developed for precise temperature measurement and maximizes accuracy by referencing a fixed heat source with a known temperature value. Our patent-pending heat source allows Seek Scan to achieve much higher accuracy than a standard thermal imaging camera designed for industrial use.
We’re seeing four phases of adoption right now: 1. Manufacturing companies that need to secure supply chains, 2. Mid-sized companies like gyms, franchises and more consumer-based businesses, 3. restaurants and retail, and 4. Schools, which are hoping to have a system in place for this upcoming fall. I think you’ll also see the technology used in larger areas and venues. In short, we feel many if not most businesses who need to operate with people in an office or factory will be interested in thermal imaging to help make their environment safer.
The latter. With Seek’s affordable technology, the cost to value ratio is now weighted for mass adoption across a wide array of applications and customer types. Also, as we move into our “new normal,” regular temperature screening will become an important part of keeping society safer. Just as visible cameras became widely used inside and outside buildings, towns and infrastructure for security, we believe temperature screening will follow a similar trend.
Talking to Jeff was exciting and interesting seeing as we are seeing COVID-19 impact each of us in unique ways. One thing is for sure, there is a new normal underway and it seems that thermal imaging is a big part of it. For more information on Integress and our Engineering and Technical recruiting services, contact us HERE
Read other relevant blogs on COVID-19:
How US Manufacturers Are Pivoting With COVID-19
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