A mobile disinfection robot developed by ASTI Mobile Robotics and BOOS Technical Lighting to combat Covid-19 is being piloted at the University Hospital of Burgos (HUBU) in Spain.
So far, the ZenZoe robot has disinfected an area totalling 3,055m2, equivalent to the hospitalisation floor, intermediate resuscitation area and eight operating theatres.
Using ultraviolet (UV-C) light to eliminate germs and pathogens in the air as well as on surfaces and objects, the radiation emitted by the mobile robot achieves a reduction in the viral and bacterial load of up to 99.99%.
It does so due to the height and positioning of the lamp, which means the source of radiation is very close to the surface to be disinfected, both in its vertical and horizontal planes.
HUBU is the first Spanish hospital to use the technology to battle the coronavirus.
Ignacio García Zaldívar, deputy director of management at HUBU, Ignacio García Zaldívar, said: “It is especially useful for critical areas because – unlike disinfection using chemical methods that are also being applied, such as hydrogen peroxide, which require the evacuation of the entire plant – disinfection carried out using UV-C light allows us to evaluate only the area to be disinfected and to continue with assistance activity in other areas of the same plant.
“It is a great benefit for the organisation because it makes possible the continuity of assistance by making better use of the space, as well as the assistance resources, both technical and human, reducing waiting times, disinfection and safety.”
Additionally, the robot can map in detail all routes and spaces to be disinfected, with the required calculation programming and proximity to parameters, equipment and furniture, as well as the required passing frequency.
What’s more, automatic, super-fast battery charging means the robot is can operate for an entire day before recharging is required.
A real-time cloud-based traceability function records the results of the disinfection cycle, and provides intelligence to optimise utilisation and disinfection efficiency.
The name, ZenZoe Robot, is a tribute to the health professionals and their fight against diseases. It combines Zen, from the name Isabel Zendal, a nurse who helped eradicate smallpox in the Philippines and Latin America, and Zoe Rosinach Pedrol, the first pharmaceutical doctor in Spain.
The solution has been verified by Spain’s National Institute for Aerospace Technology in collaboration with the Military Emergency Unit.
Read more from Robotics & Innovation
https://www.roboticsandautomationmagazine.co.uk/ai-driven-disinfection-service-robot-launched/
