Gate|0 is a unique multifunctional disinfectant system for crowded places, offices, and mobile hospitals, providing an overhead shower of disinfectant solution for a few seconds as individuals pass through the gate.
Industry:
Services:
TRL:
1 → 8
Project duration:
4 months
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a devastating impact on public health, societies, and economies around the world. Because an effective vaccine was unavailable for the first 12-18 months of the pandemic, disinfection, sanitization, and distancing were considered the most appropriate measures to mitigate virus transmission. As the pandemic gained momentum, several measures were put in place to control its spread. One such effort includes the installation of walkthrough sanitization gates to disinfect passersby and prevent cross infection.
Given EnCata’s capabilities and realizing the urgent need for help, we decided to join the fight and developed a totally new disinfectant solution for virus protection.
The major challenges we faced while working on such an important project were:
Engineering R&D
CAD Design
Multilayers PCB Stack
FreeRTOS
Wi-Fi Onboard
BOM Development
LED Display
Thermographic Camera
Face Recognition System
CNC Machining
EnCata quickly mobilized our design and manufacturing team to develop a multifunctional walkthrough gate with an innovative bactericidal disinfectant system ideal for crowded places (airports, train stations, administrative buildings, industrial enterprises, shopping centers, cafes, bars, restaurants, etc.) that helps to recognize symptoms of viral diseases in advance and prevent their further spread.
The gate has a robust, corrosion-resistant stainless steel design that is easy to maintain and equipped with large refillable 90-liter disinfectant tanks.
The disinfectant fluid is an aqueous solution of antivirus silver citrate that automatically sprays onto a person passing through the gate in 15 ml doses. A low pressure pipeline with 20 fogging nozzles is installed inside the frame. The use of such nozzles allows disinfecting treatment even in hard-to-reach folds of clothing and also treats the feet.
The use of such nozzles allows disinfecting treatment even in hard-to-reach folds of clothing and also treats the feet.
On the firmware side, we designed the embedded system architecture and developed its functioning principles. This system is comprised of the following components:
1. Control board.
To test and fine-tune the algorithms and system functioning for proof-of-concept prototype development of Gate|0 we used an already excited control board that is the core of the AeroCapsula product. During the firmware development, we created STM32 microcontroller under the FreeRTOS control. Then, we proceeded with a serial version of the control board development.
2. Infrared (IR) sensors.
To verify a person's entry to the gate, we developed two types of infrared sensors: barrier and reflex.
3. Info displays.
We created a display based on LED technology which shows brief instructions for the users walking through the gate. The display also shows the system’s condition and indicates when it is time for scheduled maintenance or when the disinfectant tanks need to be refilled. The display allows color graphics and text.
4. Control algorithms.
We wrote the custom algorithms so the system can automatically determine the work mode: single or group, visualize the disinfectant level of the tanks and the capacity of the spent fluid, activate voice/audio guidance. The most challenging aspect of this stage was to write an algorithm to automatically determine whether 1 person or a group is walking through. This process required many rounds of trial and error before a solution was found. The gate system thus automatically switches to single or group work mode depending on the number of individuals passing through and their speed of movement.
5.WEB UI.
Our software engineers developed a web interface to monitor and configure the system, which is accessible by connecting to a Wi-Fi module integrated into the device.
The operation principle of the product is as follows: as soon as the user enters the ramp, then the infrared sensor, which is located in the strut, identifies a person who came in and the system is in a single or group work mode. The voice-over is activated and the text instruction on the LED display is shifted from one status to another. Then, the user can use the sanitizer for hand disinfection. The infrared sensor, which is located on the inner side of the frame near the sanitizer, identifies hands in a disinfectant zone and gives off a spray signal of disinfectant that is in a fluid tank.
The multifunctional decontamination system is produced in three configurations: Standard, Light and Premium.
Gate|0 STANDARD version comes with:
Gate|0 LIGHT includes:
Gate|0 PREMIUM configuration comprised with:
There are several additional modules that fit both Light and Premium configurations of Gate|0:
1. Standard thermographic camera
Temperature detection and face recognition system (bandwidth: 1 person per 5 seconds). In addition to determining an individual’s temperature, the module allows the faces based on an artificial intelligence system.
2. High traffic flow thermographic camera
Temperature detection (bandwidth: 1 person per 1 second).The system allows the body temperature monitoring of a continuous stream of people walking through the gate.
3. Mechanical hand sanitizer
4. Automatic contactless hand sanitizer
5. Turnstile.
People are only allowed entrance after the completion of face recognition, hand treatment, disinfection, and determination of body temperature. A standard turnstile is installed and controlled by the electronics in Gate|0 according to the specified scenario.
EnCata designed and manufactured a product that is far superior to other disinfectant frames. It is a multifunctional germicidal disinfection system with a wide range of smart functionality to screen people as they pass through to minimize the risk of infection and keep employees and visitors safe.
of Gate|0 available to purchase: Premium, Light (welded and unwelded), and Standard
was the time from idea to pre-production sample
is the required time to determine 1 person body's temperature walking through the gate by a high traffic flow thermographic
