The MiQro Innovation Collaborative Centre (C2MI), the largest electronics systems research and development center in Canada, recently selected Honeywell (NYSE: HON) for its new thermal screening and risk self-assessment process at its Bromont, Quebec, location to better sustain operations and to help improve the well-being of building occupants and visitors.
C2MI is an internationally known microelectronics research center that requires 24-7 laboratory access for its team and collaborators. The COVID-19 pandemic challenged its standard operations and ability to provide laboratory access while limiting potential virus exposure. Honeywell worked with C2MI to install a thermal camera system to screen elevated skin temperatures, and risk self-assessment capability to streamline building access control without the need for human interaction.
Using artificial intelligence (AI), the company's Healthy Building Kiosk thermal sensor monitors for trends and leverages variables such as the outdoor temperature to provide more accurate readings. If an elevated skin temperature is detected, the staffer or visitor is referred for testing before being authorized to access the center. The platform allows C2MI security staff to focus on other critical tasks and gives building users shared accountability.
Honeywell says its Healthy Buildings solutions provide a holistic view of a building’s health based on key factors such as indoor air quality, occupant flow, personal protective equipment (PPE) analytics, thermal screening, skin temperature monitoring, social distancing and sanitation efficacy. In the Bromont, Quebec facility deployment, C2MI and Honeywell say they are continuously working to refine the technology to create a more efficient and safer access control. C2MI says it expects to see a return on investment in less than one year, when calculating the comparative cost of a security personnel member dedicated to managing staff access control.
“We’ve worked with C2MI to create a custom solution to improve the efficiency of building access and support a return to more normal operations,” said Laura Laltrello, vice president and general manager of North America services, Honeywell Building Technologies.
She added, “With the implementation of the new Healthy Building Kiosk at the entrance, C2MI’s 24/7 operations are simplified while allowing the security staff to focus on other critical tasks. We’ve also deployed a continuous improvement process with C2MI to refine the solution to best suit its needs and manage issues such as queuing.”
Honeywell notes its Healthy Buildings offering is part of a comprehensive effort to quickly develop innovative solutions that help critical sectors of the global economy to recover, without the need to replace existing infrastructure.
“As a center of collaboration and innovation, C2MI faced two challenges in the past year: the ability to sustain operations, while also taking steps to help make our staff and researchers safer,” said Marie-Josée Turgeon, general manager, C2MI. “Our collaboration with Honeywell has allowed us to streamline building entry and remove the semi-manual process of individuals’ skin temperature reading to help provide a safer environment for our teams.”
In addition to the system deployment, C2MI noted it has also implemented health protocols aligned with local guidelines and recommendations, such as a work-from-home policy, limiting the number of people in the cafeteria and conference rooms, encouraging social distancing, optimizing disinfecting and cleaning, and mandatory procedural mask wearing.
The MiQro Innovation Collaborative Centre is an international beacon whose activities are dedicated to rapid commercialization in the fields of MEMS manufacturing, advanced packaging and systems assembly as well as printable electronics. Learn more at www.c2mi.ca and www.honeywell.com.
