Chilling warning over new 'pandemic drone' technology being developed to detect COVID-19 symptoms by scanning people from the air

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The creator of new 'pandemic drone' technology designed to help limit the spread of coronavirus has warned that it could be used to monitor the public.  

University of South Australia Professor Javaan Chahl, who leads the team behind the drone and works for the Department of Defence, said the technology could be used by governments or companies to monitor and target specific citizens.

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has sensors and computer vision technology that can monitor temperature, heart and respiratory rates of people in a crowd, along with spotting those coughing and sneezing.  

Defence Chair of Sensor Systems Professor Javaan Chahl, who leads the team behind the drone, said the technology could be used by governments or companies to monitor and target specific citizens

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has sensors and computer vision technology that can monitor temperature, heart and respiratory rates of people in a crowd, along with spotting those coughing and sneezing

The pandemic drone is being developed in collaboration with the University of South Australia (UniSA) and drone maker Draganfly.  

Researchers involved said the drone could measure heart rate and breathing rate with high accuracy - within 16 to 32 feet of people.

And it uses special algorithms to spot someone sneezing and coughing. 

Professor Chahl believes the UAV could be a viable screening tool for the COVID-19 pandemic.

'It might not detect all cases, but it could be a reliable tool to detect the presence of the disease in a place or in a group of people.'

Chahl said the technology was originally envisaged for war zones and natural disasters, as well as remotely monitoring heart rates of premature babies in incubators.

'Now, shockingly, we see a need for its use immediately, to help save lives in the biggest health catastrophe the world has experienced in the past 100 years.'

He hopes to deploy the drone in six months in various hot-spots where 'the most amount of detection is currently required.' 

'There's a lot of discussion going on at the moment about how we manage that privacy so that you don't take away people's freedom, or start imposing on them unnecessarily,' he said 

The virus is spread from person to person and has now infected more than 531,000 with more than 23,000 deaths reported around the world. The drones  creators hope to deploy the drone in six months and in various hotspots

But Professor Chahl also warned the technology could be used to monitor people after the coronavirus.   

'I might think it's a very bad idea to use drones to chase people around who might be sick. But perhaps others might have different ideas,' Professor Chahl told ABC's 7.30.

'And it's very hard to restrain them from using it like that once the genie is out of the bottle.' 

His warning came after police in the US city of Westport, near New York, were trialling the software but stopped due to privacy concerns. 

'There's a lot of discussion going on at the moment about how we manage that privacy so that you don't take away people's freedom, or start imposing on them unnecessarily,' he said.  

Draganfly CEO Cameron Chell said his company will use its sensor, software and engineering expertise to work with UniSA to integrate and deploy for government, medical and commercial customers.

'We are honoured to work on such an important project given the current pandemic facing the world with Covid-19. Health and respiratory monitoring will be vital not only for detection but also to understand health trends,' Mr Chell said.

The coronavirus began in China December 2019 and has since spread to nearly every country in the world.

The virus is spread from person to person and has now infected more than 531,000 with more than 23,000 deaths reported around the world.

Drones have become very helpful during the pandemic, as many countries are using the technology to monitor people who defy lockdown or quarantine advice.

The Chula Vista Police Department in San Diego, California has invested in two drones that cost $11,000 each and plan to fit the devices with speakers and night vision cameras after last week Governor Gavin Newsom ordered residents to stay at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

China had also used drones to spray disinfectant over villages and cities that have been hit by coronavirus.

Officials had hoped that the disinfectant will prevent the killer virus from spreading further although it is not yet known how effective this will be.

One villager in the city of Heze, Shandong, offered his personal drone which was used to disinfect an area of 172,000 square feet in a single morning.

The unmanned aerial vehicles are proving to be a much faster method of delivering public hygiene than traditional means either on foot or by lorry.

Drones have become very helpful during the pandemic. China used a drone to spray disinfected on streets and villages. Officials had hoped that the disinfectant will prevent the killer virus from spreading further although it is not yet known how effective this will be