IPN scientist develops UV robot for disinfection duties at Mexico’s COVID-19 hospitals

In order to protect healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic , Juan Humberto Sossa Azuela, a researcher at Mexico’s National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) is working in the development of a robot that will disinfect hospital areas for patients with coronavirus using ultraviolet light .

In this regard, the head of the Robotics and Mechatronics Laboratory of the Computing Research Center (CIC) explained that, in addition to the UV C light disinfection , the robot will be able to help on monitoring the general health status of the patients and supplying medicines in the COVID-19 areas, so that healthcare workers in critical areas can delegate certain tasks to the robot and thus focus in more specific activities.

Dr. Sossa Azuela, a level III member of the National Researchers System (SIN) , explained that the robot consists of a remotely operated robotic system with basic autonomous functions that will allow to remotely disinfect bathrooms, hallways, and rooms, in addition to monitoring patients and being used as a link with the medical staff through a system of sensors and an interface for tablets .

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“At first, the robot will work remotely, at a distance, moreover, it will have basic functions for the detection of the closeness of objects to prevent the operator from hitting them; in a second stage, it is planned to work autonomously through voice orders ; in this case, there would be a combination of voice and image analysis techniques, as well as pattern recognition and other artificial intelligence techniques such as neuronal networks and effort-based learning,” added Sossa Azuela.

This project will allow proving the efficiency of UV C light in the control and possible elimination of COVID-19 in contaminated areas and based on the expected results of the proposed prototype, it will be put into operation as soon as possible, according to the expert, who is also part of a team of Mexican scientists comprised by the Foreign Affairs Ministry (SRE) to collaborate with foreign researchers in the development of a vaccine against the new coronavirus.

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The IPN scientist, a member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences , commented that the contributions of robotics will be evidenced during this pandemic by creating awareness on society about the relevance of a machine being able to perform the heavy and dangerous duties done by some people, mainly in times of crisis such as the current one.

For its part, the Public Education Minister Esteban Moctezuma has stressed that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions have partaken in the elaboration and dissemination of research and scientific information to support the country during this health emergency.

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