Pasadena Company Placing Temperature Screening Facial Recognition Tech in Colleges Across the U.S.

The University of Mississippi has become one of dozens of academic institutions nationwide to adopt temperature screening and facial recognition technology developed by Pasadena-based PopID as they endeavor to bring students back to class safely, the company announced Wednesday.

Through face-scanning devices installed at Ole Miss and other schools, students are able to unlock doors with a glance, while the system also confirms they are not running a fever, which is a primary symptom of COVID-19, the company said in a written statement.

“Once students, faculty, administrators, and athletic staff scan their faces into the system via a website, they need only stand before the fixed device to be recognized and have their temperatures taken instantly, hands-free, with or without masks,” according to the statement. “If they are shown not to have a fever, they will receive a text message confirming their daily health status, thus allowing entry to other campus buildings. 

PopID is offering academic institutions a significant discount for its “Return to Learn” platform versus the commercial sector.

Colleges that have adopted the system include the University of Antelope Valley, Bismarck State College, Lane College, Lock Haven University, Metropolitan Community College Kansas City, and the University of Redlands, according to PopID.

University of Mississippi Athletic Director Keith Carter said he appreciated the extra measure of safety.

“Like other college athletic programs around the country, Ole Miss puts the health and safety of its student-athletes and staff above all else,” Carter said. “We are pleased to add PopID’s technology to the steps we are taking to ensure their safety on and off the field.”

University of Redlands Professor Bill Southworth said he was “extremely satisfied” with pandemic safety measures employed by the school, including the new partnership with PopID.

“Return to Learn complements the many measures we are implementing to provide the safest possible environment for students and faculty returning to campus,” he said.

Earlier this month, PopID rolled out its PopPay system throughout Pasadena, and “quietly established the nation’s first dense ‘face-pay’ network,” PopID said in a written statement.

“The launch in Pasadena of a dense network of businesses and people using the PopID platform for both payment and entry kicks off a city by city rollout of the contactless payment service,” the statement said.

“In each new city we enter, we initially focus on installing PopEntry systems in the workplace and on local college campuses,” said John Miller, who serves as chairman of Cali Group, of which PopID is a part. “As these communities grow comfortable using PopID to check in, we enlist area restaurants and retailers to offer PopPay for transactions.” 

Pasadena businesses using the system include Again Café, Arroyo Chop House, BAN SUP refill, Barcelona, Bubble Puff and Tea, CaliBurger, Contessa Italian Foods, Daddy’s Chicken Shack, DogHaus, Fair Oaks Burger, The Fit Bar Superfood Cafe, Food Bar, Lêberry Bakery, Lemonade, Mediterranean Grill, Milkcow Café, Monopole Wine, Parkway Grill, Pho Banh Mi Che Cali, Real Food Cafe, Space Bar Wellness Center, Smitty’s, Sorriso, Taste of Pace, Tortas Mexico, and others, according to PopID.

More information is available on the company’s website at popid.com.