Using UV-C light, this new autonomous process can disinfect a warehouse floor in 30 minutes - and could soon be deployed in shops, schools and other spaces.
One of the problems with this ghastly virus is that it's invisible and its droplets can linger on surfaces for several days. Thankfully, there are numerous chemical cleaning products that are effective - but using them to disinfect larger settings can be slow, expensive and potentially dangerous.
Happily, a team from the world renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in collaboration with Ava Robotics, has designed a clever new autonomous robotic system that powerfully disinfects surfaces and eradicates the lurking droplets.
The system uses a special UV-C light fixture that's mounted on a mobile robot base and tested at the Greater Boston Food Bank, with encouraging results.
UV-C light has been proven as an effective method for killing viruses and bacteria on surfaces and aerosols, but it’s unsafe for humans to be exposed. Fortunately, the robot doesn’t require any human supervision and the team say that the system could be useful for autonomous UV disinfection in other environments, such as factories, restaurants, and supermarkets.
The sooner the better please!