COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has created a global lockdown, the likes of which haven't been seen in over a century. Responses in hot spots have ranged from recommended social distancing to mandatory self-isolation. While the public does its best to heed these directives, critical workers such as first responders, nurses and doctors, transit workers, grocery store employees, and others remain on the job.
One group heavily relied upon during this time of crisis is the group of people tasked with disinfecting contaminated areas, putting them at great potential risk. To reduce human contact in these affected indoor and outdoor areas, disinfection robots are being developed.
"Instead of manual disinfection, which requires mobilizing the workforce and increases the risk of exposure to cleaning staff, autonomous or remote-controlled disinfection robots could lead to cost-effective, rapid, and effective disinfection," states an editorial recently published in Science Robotics.
Ten days to create a new robot
The New York Times published a COVID timeline beginning on December 31, 2019. In less than four months since the first reported cases, more than 2.5 million cases have been confirmed. This pandemic hit quickly, and tech companies are working hard to keep pace. One in particular, Weston Robot , a robotics developer and supplier, reacted quickly to help combat the virus. The team developed a prototype in ten days, paving the way for other robotics developers to do the same.
"In January, when COVID-19 was first shown to be infectious among humans, the team spent less than 10 days creating the first disinfection robot prototype and demonstrating the feasibility of using robots. Many robotics companies followed suit," says Dr. Zhang Yanliang, managing director and chief scientist of Weston Robot, Singapore.
First prototype from early February. Image credit: Weston Robot
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"Using MathWorks' Model-Based Design approach , along with advanced tools such as Stateflow, Robotics System Toolbox, and Coder products, we were able to accelerate the pace of robot prototyping," added Dr. Zhang.
Weston Robots did more than develop a robot to help combat COVID and protect frontline workers. They recently announced three new robots that contribute in unique ways.
Disinfectant robot for outdoor spaces
Business Insider reported on efforts to disinfect public areas, stating, "Around the world, disinfection teams have descended on kindergartens, state capital buildings, markets, mosques, airports, and thoroughfares. Teams of workers in hazmat suits are spraying low-concentration bleach and water mixtures from trucks, guns, drones, and robots."
Weston Robots has developed a robot for outdoor use . The disinfection robot, co-developed with AgileX in Dongguan, can be controlled remotely via a 4G network, allowing the cleaning team to physically remove both the virus and the cleaning solution.
Disinfectant robot launched in March 2020. Image credit: Weston Robot
This robot weighs 45 kg and travels up to 6 km/h. It can disinfect an area of ​​160,000 square feet with each battery cycle.
Safely disinfect indoor spaces
Cleaning indoor spaces is often more critical because evidence shows the novel coronavirus persists on some surfaces for days. Experts agree that disinfecting commonly touched surfaces in places like hospitals, schools, and religious sites can mitigate the spread of the virus. But spraying surfaces with chemical solutions is not safe.
One way to eliminate viruses without chemicals is through the use of ultraviolet light. According to the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), "UV-C kills live bacteria, but viruses are not technically living organisms; therefore, we should properly say 'inactivate viruses.' Single, energetic UV-C photons interact photochemically with the RNA and DNA molecules in a virus or bacteria to render these microbes non-infectious. All of this happens at the microscopic level."
"Wavelengths in the photobiological ultraviolet spectral band known as 'UV-C,' 200 to 280 nanometers (nm), have been shown to be the most effective for disinfection, although longer, less energetic UV rays can also disinfect if applied in much higher doses. UV-C wavelengths comprise photons (particles of light) that are the most energetic in the optical spectrum (comprising UV, visible, and infrared) and are therefore the most photochemically active."
Image credit: IES
Weston Robot also created a robot for this indoor disinfection use case. This robot uses ultraviolet light and autonomous navigation to navigate indoor spaces.
According to Weston Robot, "Users can map the location on a smartphone and select waypoints. The robot will follow the waypoints and stop at each point until the disinfection job is complete. It can also automatically return to the charging station once its battery life drops below a threshold."
Image credit: Weston Robot
A robot offers a health check and supplies
Health experts warn that we must be vigilant to reduce the risk of a second wave of infections. Contact tracing and testing are a high priority. One of the most critical steps will be preventing infected people from spreading the disease.
In the Fortune magazine article , Focusing on Fevers: Thermal Imaging Technology Is on the Rise. Can It Help Fight Coronavirus? , it stated: "[...]The coronavirus outbreak has highlighted thermal imaging technology as a potentially important tool for combating pandemics and protecting the global economy."
Weston Robot's third COVID-fighting robot is designed to identify potential COVID infections through temperature scanning. It is equipped with a thermal infrared camera with an accuracy of +/- 0.5 degrees Celsius. It uses the same robotic platform as the indoor UV disinfection robot, allowing it to operate autonomously.
Image credit: Weston Robot
It was designed for use in areas such as shopping malls, large cafes, and airports. This robot is also equipped to dispense hand sanitizer and tissues as needed.
COVID-19 robots are paving the way
We're getting used to seeing robots in our lives, performing everyday tasks, from scanning store shelves to vacuuming our homes. But during a crisis like the COVID pandemic, we're seeing that these devices can help keep people safe by minimizing our contact with the virus and helping slow its spread.
"COVID-19 could be a catalyst for developing robotic systems that can be rapidly deployed with remote access by experts and essential service providers without the need to travel to the front lines," says Science Robotics .
