GeekWire: Seattle-Area Inventor Wins Global COVID Hackathon For Tech That Alerts Public About Crowded Spaces
As COVID-19 social distancing restrictions have eased, people are going into stores, restaurants and restrooms while still trying to stay at least six feet apart. But what if you can’t tell how crowded the space is until you get inside? And what about people who are older or have underlying health conditions that put them at greater risk?
A tech expert, consultant and entrepreneur from Sammamish, Wash., has an award-winning solution. Using Bluetooth signals and credit-card sized Raspberry Pi computers, Ian Mercer created an inexpensive monitoring and notification system that he’s calling Crowd Alert.