How IoT startup LimelightIT is preparing organisations and employees for post-lockdown period
Ahmedabad-based startup LimelightIT has developed a wearable wristband to keep a check on employees’ body temperature, cough, and sneeze count.
After following the national lockdown for over two-months to stop the spread of the coronavirus, India has now started its three-phased unlock plan from June 1. Under the first phase, places of worship, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, and other hospitality services will be back to full services from June 8 onwards. Organisations across the country are also allowing employees to return to office in a phased manner.
At a time when people are starting to get back to work, staying cautious and maintaining safety is of utmost importance.
To make this shift safer, Ahmedabad-based IoT startup has come up with a wearable wristband to keep a check on the body temperature of employees, and take action when they notice anyone’s temperature going up. The wristband can also detect cough and sneeze count of employees.
Tarun Purohit, Founder and CEO, LimelightIT
Founded in 2018 by Tarun Purohit, LimelightIT is also providing wireless ID Card solutions to help organisations with people or asset monitoring, micro-location services, and automatic energy saving solutions. The ID cards can be used by the employees to punch in and out their attendance, and unlock conference and meeting rooms automatically without touching the door handles.
The solution will also allow organisations to automatically turn electrical appliances on or off if employees enter or leave a particular room. Apart from this, the AI-enabled solution analyses the occupancy of any room and monitors the temperature to control AC units to provide more energy-efficient temperature control.
Speaking to YourStory, Tarun explains that the ID card given to the employees can be used to monitor their location and also control their access in some areas if needed. For instance, employees who may not need access to a particular conference room will not be able to unlock it with their ID card.
Monitoring employees
Limelight IT’s wristband collects information about the temperature, cough, and cold symptoms of the employees, and shares it with the organisation. The human resource team or leads can access the data through the dashboard.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, iCreate-backed LimelightIT also repurposed its ID cards into wristbands along with sensors to monitor the COVID-19 symptoms. The wristband will also allow employees to punch in and out without the biometric attendance process, thereby eliminating the need of touching the machine repeatedly.
“We changed the form from ID card to wristbands, which includes the body temperature sensor and cough counting system. The data will be shared with the receivers placed across the office, and from there it will go to the cloud, which can be accessed by the organisations through a dashboard,” says Tarun.
Any fluctuation in temperature or symptoms noticed in a particular employee will be immediately notified using the dashboard.
Tarun adds, “The current monitoring practices generally include one person going around measuring temperatures with the thermometer. This process puts the person at risk and more vulnerable to infection. Apart from this, the technologies currently used to monitor temperature may give different results, depending on the distance of the person from the thermometer.”
LimelightIT wristbands will, however, constantly monitor the health of the employees, and if anyone is found to have the symptoms, the organisation can immediately restrict the movement of the person to other areas.
Credit: LimelightIT
Business and plans ahead
According to the company, the solution can be used by organisations working in various sectors such as enterprise and factories, healthcare, manufacturing, education, and hospitality.
It is yet to be deployed as the production process got delayed due to the coronavirus and lockdown situation. Meanwhile, the pre-covid industrial solution is being used by the incubation centre iCreate and JBM Group (Jay Bharat Maruti Ltd), says Tarun.
“Our prototype is ready, and we are expecting to have our first batch of COVID-19 bands ready for deployment this week. We are currently in talks with some of the private quarantine facilities in Ahmedabad who are interested in this solution,” says Tarun. He also adds that its existing clients have made queries regarding their latest solution.
The startup follows two revenue models. One is the subscription-based model where the company will charge organisations around Rs 100 to procure a band. It will also make money by the sale of the products. The COVID-19 wristband is priced in the range of Rs 1,500-2,500, depending upon the number of bands to be bought.
“The price of the products will depend heavily on the number of bands being bought. For example, up to 100 bands will be available for Rs 2,000. More than 100 pieces can pull the prices down to Rs 1,700-1,800, depending on the number of bands,” says Tarun.
Speaking about funding plans, Tarun says the company has been working with support from iCreate. Apart from this, LimelightIT is also in talks with some potential VC investors who have shown interest in the technology.
The founder explains the company is now looking to do some pilot projects with its COVID-19 wristbands, and plans to expand its verticals in the long-term.
Edited by Megha Reddy