Given the year we’ve just had there were always going to be COVID-tech related announcements coming out of CES in 2021. Smart face masks already seem to be a trend but now we have our first smart doorbell that can also check a visitor’s temperature.
Digital Trends reports that the Ettie Smart Video Doorbell by Plott is able to sense a guest’s temperature via an infra-red sensor. The device can then send a warning to the home-owner if one of their guests is running a fever. The guest is also alerted if they are clear to enter via red and green LED lights.
This smart video doorbell is sure to be a godsend for contact tracers. It can track the date and time a guest enters the premises along with a picture. This information is then logged and can be viewed in the partner app.
The doorbell can even be programmed to do a headcount so that users know when maximum capacity has been reached. Perfect for our ever-changing social distancing restrictions.
The idea is perfect for personal home use but also for use within small businesses. It’s an easy way to keep track of the comings and goings of all visitors and whether anyone is showing potential COVID symptoms. That way, if an outbreak occurs, users have an easy list of contacts that can be provided for tracing.
Apart from these unique features the doorbell also provides HD video recording with a 160-degree field of vision. It also has two-way audio functionality. According to reports, temperatures are best recorded when visitors face the camera directly and not on an angle.
The Ettie is a smart device designed for our new pandemic world. It even earned itself an honoree tech innovation award from CES this year. Another honoree was a touchless doorbell from Arlo which uses proximity sensors to alert owners when someone is at their door before they ring the buzzer.
Update: The Ettie doorbell will be available in Australia.