ABSTRACT
Eliminating pathogen exposure is an important approach to control outbreaks of epidemics such as COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019). To deal with pathogenic environments, using disinfection robots is a practicable choice. This research formulates a 3D (three-dimensional) spatial disinfection strategy for a disinfection robot. First, a disinfection robot is designed with an extensible control framework for the integration of additional functions. The robot has eight degrees of freedom that can handle disinfection tasks in complex 3D environments where normal disinfection robots lack the capability to ensure complete disinfection. An ingenious clamping mechanism is designed to increase flexibility and adaptability. Secondly, a new coverage path planning algorithm targeted at the spraying area is used. This algorithm aims to achieve an optimal path via the rotating calipers algorithm after transformation between a 2D (two-dimensional) array and 3D space. Finally, the performance of the designed robot is tested through a series of simulations and experiments in various spaces that humans usually live in. The results demonstrate that the robot can effectively perform disinfection tasks both in computer simulation and in reality.
ABSTRACT
In recent years, the novel corona virus pandemic is raging around the world, and the safety of home environment and public environment has become the focus of people's attention [2]. Therefore, the research on disinfection robot has become one of the important directions in the field of machinery and artificial intelligence. This paper proposes a robot with the STM32 MCU as the core of disinfection, and is equipped with a variety of sensors and a camera vision, has the original cloud service management platform, the remote deployment of navigation, based on visual SLAM to realize high precision navigation and positioning, can realize to indoor environment autonomously route planning, automatic obstacle avoidance checking, disinfection, epidemic prevention function, at the same time can pass Bit computer software realizes remote control of robot, which has great development potential. © 2022 ACM.
ABSTRACT
After the new coronavirus has undergone multiple mutations, its infectivity and severity have greatly increased, which has caused great threats and inconvenience to people's production and life. In order to disinfect the isolated area comprehensively, a control system of disinfection robot for epidemic prevention and control is designed. The robot takes STM32 as the main controller, collects and analyses the environmental information by lidar EKF-SLAM. In addition, Improved Ant Colony Algorithm is used for optimal path planning, and 3-DOF robotic arm is carried out to sanitize the designated area. The system can achieve the functions such as mapping, real-time localization, robot distribution and disinfection. The feasibility and superiority of the 3D reconstruction, path planning algorithm and end-effector pose control method are verified by MATLAB simulation. It can reduce the contact frequency of the crowd and the workload of the disinfection staff, and making contributions to epidemic prevention and control further. © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic shows growing demand of robots to replace humans for conducting multiple tasks including logistics, patient care, and disinfection in contaminated areas. In this paper, a new autonomous disinfection robot is proposed based on aerosolized hydrogen peroxide disinfection method. Its unique feature lies in that the autonomous navigation is planned by developing an atomization disinfection model and a target detection algorithm, which enables cost-effective, point-of-care, and full-coverage disinfection of the air and surface in indoor environment. A prototype robot has been fabricated for experimental study. The effectiveness of the proposed concept design for automated indoor environmental disinfection has been verified with air and surface quality monitoring provided by a qualified third-party testing agency. Note to Practitioners - Robots are desirable to reduce the risk of human infection of highly contagious virus. For such purpose, a novel autonomous disinfection robot is designed herein for automated disinfection of air and surface in indoor environment. The robot structure consists of a mobile carrier platform and an atomizer disinfection module. The disinfection modeling is conducted by using the measurement data provided by a custom-built PM sensor array. To achieve cost-effective and qualified disinfection, a full-coverage path planning scheme is proposed based on the established disinfection model. Moreover, for specifically disinfecting the frequently contacted objects (e.g., tables and chairs in offices and hospitals), a target perception algorithm is proposed to mark the localization of these objects in the map, which are disinfected by the robot more carefully in these marked areas. Experimental results indicate that the developed disinfection robot offers great effectiveness to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2004-2012 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
Disinfection robots, which replace human efforts to disinfect the environment, are becoming popular due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19. To address the existing problems of imperfect and costly automatic charging systems for disinfection robots, this paper designs an automatic charging system for disinfection robots based on structure-Aware semantic mapping, which optimizes the automatic charging scheme for robots and integrates LIDAR and infrared modules to achieve the goal. Firstly, the data is associated with the charging pile's priori information through structure perception, and the identified semantic information is mapped into the local map of the robot SLAM. Then the infrared module is used to adjust the position of the charging port to align with the charging pile, and TOF laser distance measuring function is also added to avoid damage to the charging pile from the disinfection robot. In 50 times of simulation experiments, our proposed automatic charging system achieves an accurate alignment rate of 96%. © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
Since 2019, coronavirus has impacted all aspects of humans and become one of the most serious pandemics in history. To prevent the spread of virus transmission in public, cleaning and disinfection with the support of technology are effective ways worldwide. The paper focuses on the design and development of a multifunctional autonomous mobile disinfection robot, namely MEM-Bot. The MEM-Bot integrates robust and well-developed technologies such as remote control, auto-navigation in a mobile platform with a biology/chemical solution to sanitization and disinfection effectively. The MEM-Bot consists of 8 UCV lamps with 240 W radiation with no restriction emitting area, a 360o spinning detergent system, a pair of retractable arms equipped with mist nozzles to cover the lower area of spraying, and a floor-cleaning module. The overall disinfection zone is cylindrical with a radius of 1 meter and a height of 3 meters. Fabricated at a much lower cost than commercialized robots, MEM-Bot has been rapidly deployed and tested at the Phenikaa University campus zone for months. The MEM-Bot is a potential solution for developing countries against the COVID-19 © 2022 Int. J. Mech. Eng. Rob. Res
ABSTRACT
As a consequence of the COVID-19 emergency, frail citizens felt isolated because of social isolation, suspended and/or strongly reduced home assistance, and limited access to hospitals. In this sense, assistive technology could play a pivotal role in empowering frail older adults reducing their isolation, as well as in reinforcing the work of formal caregivers and professionals. In this context, the goal of this paper is to present four pilot studies-conducted from March 2020 to April 2021-to promptly react to COVID-19 by providing assistive technology solutions, aiming to (1) guarantee high-quality service to older adults in-home or in residential facility contexts, (2) promote social inclusion, and (3) reduce the virus transmission. In particular, four services, namely, telepresence service, remote monitoring service, virtual visit, and environmental disinfection, were designed, implemented, and tested in real environments involving 85 end-users to assess the user experience and/or preliminary assess the technical feasibility. The results underlined that all the proposed services were generally accepted by older adults and professionals. Additionally, the results remarked that the use of telepresence robots in private homes and residential facilities increased enjoyment reducing anxiety, whereas the monitoring service supported the clinicians in monitoring the discharged COVID-19 patients. It is also worth mentioning that two new services/products were developed to disinfect the environment and to allow virtual visits within the framework of a hospital information system. The virtual visits service offered the opportunity to expand the portfolio of hospital services. The main barriers were found in education, technology interoperability, and ethical/legal/privacy compliance. It is also worth mentioning the key role played by an appropriate design and customer needs analysis since not all assistive devices were designed for older persons.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Self-Help Devices , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , COVID-19/epidemiology , Caregivers , Disease Outbreaks , Humans , Pilot ProjectsABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the need for a more effective and efficient disinfection approach to combat infectious diseases. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) is a proven mean for disinfection and sterilization and has been integrated into handheld devices and autonomous mobile robots. Existing UVGI robots which are commonly equipped with uncovered lamps that emit intense ultraviolet radiation suffer from: inability to be used in human presence, shadowing of objects, and long disinfection time. These robots also have a high operational cost. This paper introduces a cost effective germicidal system that utilizes UVGI to disinfect pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi, on high contact surfaces (e.g. doors and tables). This system is composed of a team of 5-DOF mobile manipulators with end-effectors that are equipped with far-UVC excimer lamps. The design of the system is discussed with emphasis on path planning, coverage planning, and scene understanding. Evaluations of the UVGI system using simulations and irradiance models are also included. Please see the project's website for videos and simulations of the robot.1 © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
Objective.New technologies, including robots comprising germ-killing UV lamps, are increasingly being used to decontaminate hospitals and prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other superbugs. Existing approaches for modelling the irradiance field surrounding mobile UV disinfection robots are limited by their inability to capture the physics of their bespoke geometrical configurations and do not account for reflections. The goal of this research was to extend current models to address these limitations and to subsequently verify these models using empirically collected data.Approach.Two distinct parametric models were developed to describe a multi-lamp robotic UV system and adapted to incorporate the effects of irradiance amplification from the device's reflectors. The first model was derived from electromagnetic wave theory while the second was derived from conservation of energy and diffusion methods. Both models were tuned using data from empirical testing of an existing UV robot, and then validated using an independent set of measurements from the same device.Results.For each parameter, predictions made using the conservation of energy method were found to closely approximate the empirical data, offering more accurate estimates of the 3D irradiance field than the electromagnetic wave theory model.Significance.The versatility of the proposed method ensures that it can be easily adapted to different embodiments, providing a systematic way for researchers to develop accurate numerical models of custom UV robots, which may be used to inform deployment and/or to improve the accuracy of virtual simulation.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Robotics , Disinfection/methods , Humans , Ultraviolet RaysABSTRACT
New general health problems jeopardize the globe with the growth and breakout of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) or the significant severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2). The only way to reduce the spread of the virus is to maintain social distance and follow the rules set by our respective governments. However, manual disinfection is time-consuming, challenging, and poses safety dangers. Using robots for disinfection consequently becomes an appealing option. Furthermore, the robot can sanitize a location incredibly fast without exposing ourselves. So, in this research, we constructed a sanitization robot that would eliminate the coronavirus in the hospital and apartment building or elsewhere. In this study, we have developed an Arduino-based wireless robot where UVC Light and Liquid Sanitizer are utilized for eradicating the coronavirus. A servo motor, gear motors, wheels, and L298 motor driver module are employed for distinct purposes of the robot. Moreover, two mobile phones are used as IP Cameras for monitoring the robot. Thus, our robot can be employed for the sanitization procedure so that physical appearance will not be necessary. © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
This paper proposes a robot designed for automated routine or emergency disinfection in closed premises. The robot is related to the combined type robots. The robot consists of two functional parts: a universal mobile platform (lower part) and a disinfector (upper part), which, if necessary, can be freely moved by personnel on 4 wheels. In the initial position, the upper part of the disinfection robot is at the charging station. The mobile robot drives up to the disinfector, «hooks» it (puts it on itself) and moves along the planned route. The upper part of the disinfector will have its own independent intelligent system, separate from the mobile robot, which, when a person is recognized, stops liquid disinfection: in this case, the UV lamps turn through 180°, the cylindrical body closes and ventilation of the disinfected air from the enclosed space is turned on. In addition, liquid disinfection is only enabled when detecting beds, tables and chairs. With the spray nozzles located at a height of 400 mm, the disinfector can carry out a simultaneous combined treatment of rooms with equipment and furniture, including high-quality processing of the lower surfaces of tables, chairs and beds. To improve the functional characteristics of robotic disinfectors and to simplify their design, a multifunctional robotic disinfector has been proposed. It was found that the result is achieved by the fact that in a multifunctional disinfection robot containing a mobile cart with an autonomous positioning and navigation system, a disinfection platform with a disinfection liquid spraying system and UV lamps with reflectors installed on it, the disinfection platform will have its own autonomous control and power systems © 2022, Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Since December 2019, COVID-19 spread around the world and a number of epidemic protection robot products have emerged with outstanding applications. Combining with the rapid development of mobile network communication technology today, a disinfection robot with real-time remote control operation is designed in this paper. The motion chassis of the disinfection robot designed in this project adopts the wheeled chassis based on Ackerman steering. Based on the mobile network communication technology, operating personnel can remotely drive the robot into the contaminated area for operation, without the need to reach the contaminated area. The robot has the characteristics of flexibility, high efficiency and strong mobility. In addition, it has the ability of cross-region remote operation, high real-time, low delay video transmission ability. At the same time, the remote disinfection robot is equipped with a camera, which can observe the site environment remotely, so that the operator can judge the site environment and adopt the best spray disinfection operation method.
ABSTRACT
The spread of Covid-19 has raised the importance of unmanned and disinfection tasks, therefore the development and commercialization of service robots, such as disinfection robots, is actively underway. In addition, modern society is a personalized, where individuality is valued, with understanding and interaction of individual tastes and preferences, playing an important factor in value creation. Individual understanding starts with communication, and in this context, popularization of service robots believes that smooth interaction between humans and robots is a factor that determines success, and research is needed. In this research, the design of robots performing disinfection tasks in subway stations is studied for interactions in which robots coexist with humans and facilitate disinfection tasks. Through this work, a designed subway disinfection robot system and an appearance design considering human-centered factors are proposed. It also designed practical Human-Robot Interaction elements such as displays, voice, and laser projectors, and presented ways to utilize them to respond to possible situations in the subway. In particular, measures are shown to solve the structural problems of robots through human consideration and interaction in disinfection tasks and elevator boarding situations.
ABSTRACT
Recent outbreaks and the worldwide spread of COVID-19 have challenged mankind with unprecedented difficulties. The introduction of autonomous disinfection robots appears to be indispensable as consistent sterilization is in desperate demand under limited manpower. In this study, we developed an autonomous navigation robot capable of recognizing objects and locations with a high probability of contamination and capable of providing quantified sterilization effects. In order to quantify the 99.9% sterilization effect of various bacterial strains, as representative contaminants with robots operated under different modules, the operating parameters of the moving speed, distance between the sample and the robot, and the radiation angle were determined. We anticipate that the sterilization effect data we obtained with our disinfection robot, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time, will serve as a type of stepping stone, leading to practical applications at various sites requiring disinfection.