Two apps by IIT-B can help civic bodies screen folks under coronavirus quarantine

Civic bodies are facing one of the toughest tasks through the coronavirus lockdowns: to make certain that people that have been asked to home-quarantine abide by the restrictions on the movement. The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) is rolling out two smartphone apps that will help.

One of the applications is called CORONTINE and uses GPS-enabled geofencing to make a virtual geographic boundary. When users of the software leave this preset quarantine zone, the application alerts authorities.

The other app, called SAFE, which was being utilized by IIT-B students to mark attendance, has been repurposed to keep a check up on quarantined individuals.

Users of the Safe and sound iphone app are asked to have images of themselves periodically working with the app and upload it all. The app records enough time and location info of the place and uses facial reputation software program to verify the individual uploading the info. This enables monitoring companies to check on that the person is keeping within the boundaries of the quarantine zone.

The two apps were produced by students and alumni of IIT-Bombay along with software professionals, within the span of weekly.

Several people who returned to India from overseas or who have been in physical contact with folks with travel history to COVID-19 afflicted countries have already been asked to isolate themselves within their homes. Actually when they don't show any symptoms of the an infection, they may be carriers of the virus.

IIT-B features written to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Company (BMC) telling the civic human body how their technology can help officials track such folks, using minimal human being manpower.

“We are waiting for a reply from the civic physique,” an IIT spokesperson said.

The Maharashtra government, the Ministry of Human Learning resource Creation, the NITI Aayog and other state and city authorities are also approached to adopt the apps to make their monitoring error-free.