New AI-based mobile app Wai-Eye to assist schools in Covid-19 compliance

An AI-powered mobile app designed to equip schools to meet Covid-19 health and safety protocols set by education authorities in the UAE has been launched.

Wai-Eye leverages the school’s existing CCTV infrastructure to capture, analyse and generate real-time data to help maintain control over operations including entry, pick-up and school visit procedures, screening and contact tracing, hygiene, physical distancing arrangements and school transportation.

The app has been launched locally by Gibraltar Technologies (GT). The head of the board at GT, Ahmed Khalaf Al Otaiba, described the app as “our way of supporting the UAE government’s education drive and helping schools reopen responsibly.”

Read: Private schools in Dubai can opt for a suitable teaching approach

Beyond monitoring mask usage, physical distancing and space occupancy, Wai-Eye also integrates facial recognition to facilitate automated school attendance, contactless door access, secure child pick-up and contact tracing.

Wai-Eye can also be set up to generate compliance and monitoring reports. Although primarily designed for the use of school authorities and support staff, administrators can also choose to offer access to parents to get alerts on authorised child pick up and estimated time of arrival of school bus via GPS tracking.

“Over the last two years, our R&D labs have been testing out various technology-enabled solutions. We were already ahead of the curve in AI technology so when this unprecedented situation presented itself, we were able to respond quickly with a comprehensive tailor-made, cost-effective and easy-to-deploy solution,” said Khadeer Peer Shariff, CEO and executive director of GT.

Shariff said the company is already working with school leaders and administrators to help implement their readiness plans before schools reopen in September in the UAE.

Read: KHDA issues list of protocols for reopening of private schools in Dubai