The KC N901 Smart Helmet, developed by leading technology and innovation company KC Wearable, has been deployed at Africa’s largest instant noodle manufacturing plant, as food manufacturing groups look to protect their workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
KC Wearable has announced a partnership with Dufil Group, who are responsible for the production of Indomie, one of the world’s most popular Mi Goreng instant noodle brands, as well as oil and pasta brands Power and MiniMie, to name a few. The KC N901 Smart Helmet will be used as a COVID-19 symptom detector, helping Dufil Group to protect staff at the factory.
Nigeria has seen almost 57,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far. As new cases continue to emerge, interest the wearable thermal detection device has grown. The KC Smart Helmet allows users to screen multiple individuals for a key symptom of COVID-19 at once, helping to stop the spread of the virus.
The helmet can detect fevers, the most prevalent symptom of the virus, with 96% accuracy. Unlike traditional static thermal cameras, the wearable headset improves the efficiency and flexibility of COVID-19 screening, enabling the user to freely move around an area. The helmet can scan up to 200 people a minute, making it well suited to public settings like transport hubs, hospitals or parks.
The KC N901 Smart Helmet has been deployed at Dufil Group’s food manufacturing plant in Nigeria, allowing the company to screen employees for high fevers upon entry. Working in collaboration with KC Wearable, Dufil Group have tailored the smart helmet to fit the requirements of a factory setting. This includes personalised detection, enabling security staff to isolate outbreaks.
Powered by sophisticated augmented reality technology, the helmet visor’s thermo-scan sensors show the temperature of people in real time. The helmet is effective within a five-metre radius, enabling the wearer to maintain social distancing at all time, and has the potential to link up to other data on COVID-19 tracking apps. The device stores all data itself with a 64GB internal memory.
Beyond Nigeria, the helmet is also in use in more than 35 countries, including Indonesia, the UAE, Italy, Netherlands, Kuwait, Chile, Turkey and multiple African countries. KC Wearable has partnered with national authorities and major transport hubs such as airports, as well as schools and hospitals, to detect COVID-19 symptoms in a range of settings.
Dr Jie Guo, Global Head of KC Wearable, said: “We are very pleased to be working with Dufil Group. The KC N901 Smart Helmet is helping to keep workers safe whilst enabling the factory to run as smoothly as possible during the pandemic. KC Wearable’s mission from the outset has been to allow normal life to resume. Whilst we are still a long way off normality, empowering factories and businesses to continue to function during the pandemic is a very important step in the right direction. We hope to continue to support businesses throughout the pandemic.”
Changdev Markad, Technical Manager at Dufil Group, said: “We ensure that all workers are screened at the start of their shifts, allowing us to identify high temperatures – a key symptom of COVID-19 – and limit the spread of the virus.
“We have worked closely with KC Wearable to tailor the helmet to our specific requirements, allowing us to personalise screening to individual employees so that we can easily identify potential threats, whilst simultaneously protecting the rest of the workforce by isolating outbreaks. The KC Helmet is a fantastic asset and a natural choice for our business, allowing us to continue to function during the pandemic.”
