Manufacturers aren’t the only ones thinking of creative new ways to meet COVID-19-related needs by thinking outside the "standard” approach to production and implementation. Tech companies and robotics developers are also innovating new ways to utilize their robots in distanced healthcare environments to protect both patients and medical professionals.
Here are seven examples of robots that are stepping into essential roles to support the healthcare system’s COVID-19 caregiving needs.
1. Zorabots’ Video Calling Robot
Following government restrictions banning visitors to care homes, Belgium company Zorabots has loaned 60 of its James robots to help residents keep in touch with their loved ones.
Speaking to Reuters, Zorabots co-CEO Tommy Deblieck explained, “We said, in the coming weeks we will not be able to sell; the stock is just going to sit here. Instead of letting the stock sit here, why not put it to use in a good way?”
The 1.2-meter tall machines can navigate their way through rooms and connect video calls via Facebook messenger.
2. Asimov Robotics Educational Robots
Keralan-based start-up Asimov Robotics has stationed robots at the entrances to office buildings and public places in India to provide the public with information and important health messages about coronavirus and dispense hand sanitizer.
Asimov’s robots are also being used in isolation wards in hospitals to carry food and medicines.
3. Nuro’s Autonomous Delivery Robots
California-based start-up Nuro produces autonomous delivery robots. The company is currently using its robots to deliver food, water, and other supplies to the Sleep Train Arena and the San Mateo County Event Center, where temporary hospitals have been established.
4. CloudMinds’ 5G Robots Staffing Hospital Wards
AI tech company CloudMinds donated an emergency shipment of various 5G Cloud Robots to staff hospital wards in Wuhan and Shanghai. The robots enable medical staff to perform certain duties remotely, including taking a patient’s temperature. The robots can also dispose of medical waste, gather up old bedsheets, deliver meals, and disinfect hospital wards.
“It is our duty as a company dedicated to improving the lives of everyday people to step forward and help in any way we can to combat this unprecedented crisis,” said Bill Huang, CEO and founder of CloudMinds. “It is especially in dangerous situations such as these, that pose a high risk to humans, that Cloud Robots can offer valuable assistance. Cloud Robots can act as proxies for medical staff in quarantine facilities to perform basic monitoring duties, lowering chances and risks of exposure.”
5. Avidbots’ Fully-autonomous Neo Robot
In April, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) became the first U.S. airport to welcome Avidbots’ Neo floor-scrubbing robot. The robot, which weighs 1,050 pounds and uses advanced AI, cameras, and 3D sensors to avoid obstacles and adapt to its settings, is the only fully autonomous floor-cleaning robot on the market.
“Neo works 24/7 to keep CVG’s facilities spic and span, ensuring a safe and healthy environment for airport visitors, passengers, and staff,” said Faizan Sheikh, CEO and co-founder of Avidbots.
6. Blue Ocean Robotics’ Ultraviolet Disinfection Robot
UVD, a robot designed by Danish manufacturer Blue Ocean Robotics, is the current holder of the IERA Innovation Award by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
UVD works independently to kill harmful microorganisms using ultraviolet light, killing 99.99% of all viruses and bacteria in an average patient room within 10 minutes.
“We are now helping solve one of the biggest problems of our time, preventing the spread of viruses and bacteria with a robot that saves lives,” says Claus Risager, CEO of Blue Ocean Robotics.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, demand for the robot has skyrocketed with Chinese hospitals alone ordering more than 2,000 UVD robots. As well as being used in hospitals, the robot can operate in offices, schools, factories, or airports.
7. Boston Dynamics’ Spot Robot
At the end of last month, Boston Dynamics announced that the Brigham and Women’s Hospital of Harvard University was using its telemedicine Spot robot for the remote triage of patients suspected to have coronavirus. The dog-like robot is fitted with a custom mount for a screen that enables doctors to videoconference their patients.
Boston Dynamics, which is open-sourcing the hardware and software for other manufacturers to use, has big plans to further expand the Spot robot’s functionality. The company is looking to develop the robot so it can perform temperature checks and respiratory rate calculations using thermal camera technology.
