Iran goes on mass production of thermal imaging cameras amid virus surge

Iran has unveiled a first model of a domestically-manufactured thermal imaging camera amid efforts to contain the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.

News ID: 449556

Date: 12 March 2020 - 10:33

RNA - The camera manufactured by SAIran, an electronics company run by the Iranian defense ministry, was unveiled on Wednesday at a ceremony in Tehran where authorities said they would soon start mass production for the device.

Unveiling the camera, SAIran chief executive General Shahrokh Shahram said that the infra-red device was comparable to foreign rivals when it comes to precision in measuring the degree of fever in seek people.

Shahram said the camera was also capable of carrying out instantaneous and multiple-detection tasks, allowing authorities to screen air passengers and visitors to crowded places at a faster pace.

“Manufacturing this product with a price much lower than foreign models has saved the country a lot of foreign currency,” he said.

The unveiling comes as Iran is mobilizing all its resources to combat soaring number of coronavirus cases in the country.

Around 9,000 people have been tested positive for the infection while 349 patients have died and nearly 3,000 have recovered from the disease since it started to spread across the country last month.

Thermal imaging of air passengers had already been in place in various airports across Iran. However, the defense ministry’s unveiling of its own camera on Wednesday suggested the technology is going to be used on a wider scale across the country.

The ministry, which runs a group of major industrial units across Iran, has already ordered a ramp-up for production of various data-x-items needed to contain the spread of coronavirus, including disinfectants, masks and other protective gears.

847/940