This year, we had a tough time and experienced a special New Year. The coronavirus epidemic is raging in Hong Kong. In recent months, the number of local diagnoses in Hong Kong has remained above the level of about 70 cases per day, and has recently dropped to just under a single case. The situation is worrying, and we are expecting a fourth epidemic season. But at the same time, residents and employees of the company are exposed to a high-risk environment for a long time. Once infected, the consequences will be disastrous. Therefore, we believe that prevention and control must be thoroughly implemented to keep risks to a minimum.
In July 2020, Bonbon Robotics introduced a disinfection and epidemic prevention robot: Thunder. It was specially modified by AgileX Robotics due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Hunter robot chassis was converted into a THUNDER mechanical anti-epidemic and disinfection vehicle. This is a wheeled mechanical vehicle that can be remotely controlled by humans. Two 15-liter buckets of disinfectant solution can be installed on the left and right sides, and the solution can be sprayed from a distance of 2 meters to 8 meters. The vehicle uses a diaphragm pump for the food and pharmaceutical industries. It has anti-corrosion properties and can be added to disinfection solutions such as bleach or other disinfectant solvents. The equipped intelligent disinfection spray kit features a large-capacity one-key activation for 360-degree freedom and complete spraying.
In a busy city like Hong Kong, we rarely see these types of robots roaming the streets and alleys. This time, we arrived at the walkway next to the Wan Chai Government Revenue Building. It benefits from the barrier-free facilities the government built many years ago, originally designed for people with disabilities. Fortunately, the robot is small enough to fit through an elevator door for transportation.
At Wan Chai Harbour Road Park, the THUNDER machine climbed the slope to perform disinfection and epidemic prevention work. Even in the blazing sunlight, our staff can still remotely control the machine's trolley for spray disinfection work. The green indicator light above tells us that work is in progress; otherwise, it will turn red.
The THUNDER anti-epidemic mech vehicle can walk on its own, and the remote control operation is simple and easy to use, making it suitable for different people to control and operate. Passersby are surprised and interested by the robots' excellent appearance. It seems the public is just beginning to notice the behavior toward robots.
We also brought the THUNDER disinfection robot to the Anda Village Church Community Center near Kwun Tong for rapid air disinfection. The THUNDER disinfection robot can spray 1.5 liters of solution per minute, and the water droplet size is approximately 100 microns. Therefore, we must spray carefully when disinfecting audio equipment, electronics, and other items. However, the THUNDER disinfection robot cannot enter certain indoor areas due to its large size. We also disinfected the restrooms.
Considering the safety of the spray solution, we must choose a suitable disinfectant solution. The disinfectant spray (chlorine dioxide) used by the robot has also been tested for many years, following extensive research and laboratory testing, and has been certified by SGS, WHO (World Health Organization), FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), and EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). The approved Odorless A1 food-grade disinfectant is completely harmless to the human body, even when in contact with customers and employees. The staff controlling the robots can also be remotely monitored from over 100 meters away with a camera, greatly reducing the risk of infection to cleaning staff and saving our labor. It can also carry up to 30 liters of solution for thorough disinfection of the hotel grounds, elevator lobby, hallways, fitness room, and other facilities.
As for the ladders, we equipped the THUNDER with two aluminum ladders, which can facilitate loading and unloading the truck. The THUNDER has an anti-fall mechanism. Even if it is released midway uphill, the mechanical vehicle will remain in position. It cannot move back and forth to prevent accidents.
We also tried placing the Thunder disinfection robot in a medium-sized indoor office for disinfection work. From this, we discovered some areas that needed improvement, as well as places to pay attention to when disinfecting the indoor environment.
At the Kwun Tong coworking space office, we performed a quick disinfection of the space before the meeting to provide disinfection and safety protection for visitors. We currently use a 50-micron spray head, which is smaller than the previous 100-micron spray head and can disinfect large spaces.
The Thunder disinfection epidemic prevention robot also works well outdoors. Some streets and alleys in Hong Kong are relatively dirty and smelly. Using a disinfection epidemic prevention robot can be used to disinfect back alleys and also deodorize and reduce the workload of cleaning workers. In large quantities, they make unpleasant work easier.
The Thunder disinfection epidemic prevention robot has been visited in many locations in Hong Kong. Although Thunder is large, it is very quiet when traveling to different areas. It is equipped with an aluminum ladder to facilitate trucks and can be reached on Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. Today, public awareness of robots continues to increase. As the 5G technology era approaches, we believe robotic applications will bring many positive applications. Currently, the public still needs to learn more about these new technologies and take a new step toward the advent of smart cities in Hong Kong.
