BEIJING, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- An all-in-one machine for contact-free temperature screening and security checks has been put in use in the Shanghai subway network, according to a report by Science and Technology Daily.

The machine, developed by China Electronic Technology Group Corporation (CETC), has a terahertz security detector as its core and combines it with infrared temperature measurement equipment.

Passengers only need to walk through to complete the security check and temperature screening, reducing the risk of cross-infection, according to Brainware Terahertz Information Technology Co., a subsidiary company of the CETC.

The system also increases the security check efficiency fivefold, effectively relieving the pressure on the crowded subway network.

Terahertz is an electromagnetic wave between infrared and microwave. Its waves can be used to detect suspicious items during a security check as they are unable to pass through water or metal.

"We will continue to apply terahertz technology in busy pedestrian areas like subways, railway stations and hospitals to assist in the COVID-19 prevention and control efforts," said a researcher from the CETC.