TensorMark, University Hospitals Work Toward Face-based Immunity Credentials

TensorMark and University Hospitals are moving forward with a strategic initiative to help reopen the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. TensorMark is a computer vision specialist, while University Hospitals is a health network that includes 18 hospitals and more than 50 outpatient health centers and 200 physician offices.

Together, the two organizations will try to build a database that allows consumers to share their COVID-19 test results with venue operators in real time. The platform would be compliant with HIPAA’s privacy regulations, so the database would not store or share anyone’s test results without the explicit consent of the individual in question.

The joint solution is expected to be particularly useful for commercial establishments like restaurants, movie theaters, and retail outlets. With shared test results, venue operators would be able to ensure that everyone in their establishment is free of the disease, and create a safer environment for other customers.

The platform would leverage TensorMark’s facial recognition technology to make sure that the test results do indeed belong to the person entering an establishment. The scan can be conducted with a smartphone, a mounted terminal, or a wearable device like the VUZIX Blade, and the system could be configured to unlock a door or take some other action once someone’s identity has been confirmed.

“A full economic recovery is dependent on the ability to facilitate very safe large public gatherings of people at festivals, concerts, sporting events, and other venues,” said TensorMark advisor Scott Wolstein. “A protocol based on testing and facial recognition can be the key to allow those gatherings to occur in a manner that will both provide public confidence and also prevent the spread of the virus.”

The facial recognition component would need to be deployed carefully to address potential privacy concerns. TensorMark is one of several companies trying to leverage test results to facilitate a return to public life, with identity specialists like Yoti and Onfido also working to develop discreet immunity credentials.