Inhalation and Exhalation Recognition through a Face Mask Using Thermal Imaging

The COVID-19 virus can spread through the air in tiny particles. People with the flu or COVID-19 spread the disease mainly through droplets when they cough, sneeze or talk. People throughout the world have been wearing face masks when they go outside and, sometimes, when staying at home to prevent the spread caused by breathing in small droplets containing the virus. Breathing is indispensable to human life and changes in respiratory rates and breathing patterns are an indicator of various states of diseases. Hence, this research studies a method of recognizing inhalation and exhalation through a face mask. Initially, videos of people breathing were recorded using a thermal camera. Next, still images were extracted from each video. Then, image masking was applied to detect blue and red colors. The obtained information was used to indicate inhalation and exhalation. After that, the images were cropped. Finally, inhalation and exhalation were recognized. The results showed that the method could correctly recognize inhalation and exhalation when breathing through a face mask.