Intelligent visitor management system introduced at Seoul hospital

SEOUL -- An intelligent visitor management system based on video analysis has been introduced at a South Korean hospital to determine whether visitors, patients and workers can enter. Artificial intelligence detects people with high fever or those without masks and quickly decides whether to allow their entry through facial recognition.

The system developed by LG Uplus (LGU+) was installed at H+ Yangji Hospital in Seoul at the end of July. "We have preemptively introduced a smart system to create a safe hospital environment from infectious diseases including COVID-19 and maintain the quality of medical care," H+ Yangji Hospital head Kim Sang-il said.

Through a video analysis solution, the system can reduce the time required to enter and exit hospitals. LGU+ said its AI-based deep learning algorithm has a face identification rate of 99 percent or higher.

LGU+ said its system can be applied to schools, churches, and government offices. "We will make efforts to contribute to preventing the spread of COVID-19," said LGU+'s convergence business head Seo Jae-yong. The hospital would introduce a 5G quarantine robot that can travel around the floor and provide on-site guidance comments and real-time alarm to the control room through multiple face analysis.

LG Electronics, a sister company of LGU+, has developed various service robots such as CLOi, an AI-based service robot which provides navigational services and controls connected appliances. The company has stressed that service robots would play a bigger role in minimizing human contact when non-face-to-face services are needed due to a new coronavirus pandemic.

LG has teamed up with Woowa Brothers, the operator of South Korea's top food delivery service app Baedal Minjok, to develop a total smart solution for delivery and other robots. In July, LG's self-driving service robot made its commercial debut at Seoul National University Hospital to deliver various items such as blood samples, prescription drugs, diagnostic reagents and consumables.