INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightAdrienne MurrayImage caption
The UVD robot takes about 20 minutes to treat a room
"Please
leave the room, close the door and start a disinfection," says a voice from the robot."It says it in Chinese as well now," Simon Ellison,
vice president of UVD Robots, tells me as he demonstrates the machine.Through a glass window we watch as the self-driving machine navigates
a mock-hospital room, where it kills microbes with a zap of ultraviolet light."We had been growing the business at quite a high pace - but
the coronavirus has kind of rocketed the demand," says chief executive, Per Juul Nielsen.He says "truckloads" of robots have been shipped to
China, in particular Wuhan
Sales elsewhere in Asia, and Europe are also up."Italy has been showing a very strong demand," adds Mr Nielsen
"They really are in a desperate situation
Of course, we want to help them."Image copyrightAdrienne MurrayImage caption
Powerful UV light is already a proven means
to kill microbes
Production has been accelerated and it now takes less than a day to make one robot at their facility in
Odense, Denmark's third largest city and home to a growing robotics hub.Glowing like light sabres, eight bulbs emit concentrated UV-C
This destroys bacteria, viruses and other harmful microbes by damaging their DNA and RNA, so they can't multiply.It's also hazardous to
humans, so we wait outside
The job is done in 10-20 minutes
Afterwards there's a smell, much like burned hair."There are a lot of problematic organisms that give rise to infections," explains Prof
a proper dose of ultraviolet light in a proper period of time, then you can be pretty sure that you get rid of your organism."He adds: "This
type of disinfection can also be applied to epidemic situations, like the one we experience right now, with coronavirus disease."Image
copyrightAdrienne MurrayImage caption
UVD has tripled output of its disinfecting robots
The robot was
launched in early 2019, following six years of collaboration between parent firm, Blue Ocean Robotics and Odense University Hospital where
hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) which can be costly to treat and cause loss of life.While there's been no specific testing to prove
the robot's effectiveness against coronavirus, Mr Nielsen is confident it works."Coronavirus is very similar to other viruses like Mers
And we know that they are being killed by UV-C light," he says.More Technology of BusinessDr Lena Ciric, an associate professor at
University College London and expert on molecular biology, agrees that UV disinfection robots can help fight coronavirus
Disinfection robots are no "silver bullet", says Dr Ciric
But she adds: "These [machines] provide an extra line of defence.""We're in the run up to having a lot of coronavirus patients in the
"To be fully effective, UV needs to fall directly on a surface
If lightwaves are blocked by dirt or obstacles, such shadow areas won't be disinfected
Therefore manual cleaning is needed first
UV light has been used for decades in water and air purification, and used in laboratories.But combining them with autonomous robots is a
recent development.Image copyrightXenexImage caption
Xenex also has a device which uses UV light
American firm Xenex has LightStrike, which has to be manually put in place, and delivers high-intensity UV light from a U-shaped bulb.The
company has seen a surge in orders from Italy, Japan, Thailand and South Korea.Xenex says numerous studies show that it's effective at
reducing hospital-acquired infections and combating so-called superbugs
In 2014, one Texan hospital used it in the clean-up after an Ebola case.More than 500 healthcare facilities, mostly in the US, have the
In California and Nebraska, it has already been put to use sanitising hospital rooms where coronavirus patients received treatment, the
manufacturer says.In China, where the outbreak began, there has been an adoption of new technology to help fight the disease.The nation is
already the highest spender on drones and robotics systems, according to a report from global research firm IDC.Leon Xiao, Senior Research
Manager at IDC China says robots have been used for a range of tasks, primarily disinfection, deliveries of drugs, medical devices and waste
removal, and temperature-checking.'I think this is a breakthrough for greater use of robotics both for hospitals and other public places,"
However space in hospitals to deploy robots and acceptance by staff are challenges, he says.Image copyrightYOUIBOTImage caption
YouiBot has quickly developed its own disinfecting robot
The coronavirus has spurred home-grown Chinese robotics
companies to innovate.Shenzhen-based YouiBot was already making autonomous robots, and quickly adapted its technology to make a disinfection
device."We're trying to do something [to help], like every one here in China," says YouiBot's Keyman Guan.The startup adapted its existing
actually it's just like Lego," says Mr Guan.Image copyrightYOUIBOTImage caption
YouiBot at a hospital in Wuhan
It has supplied factories, offices and an airport, and a hospital in Wuhan
However the robot's efficacy hasn't yet been evaluated.Meanwhile plant closures and other restrictions to curb coronavirus, have hampered
"The lack of one single component, [and] we cannot build a thing," adds Mr Guan, though he notes things have improved in the last couple of
weeks."There are not many good things to say about epidemics," says Professor Kolmus, but it has forced industry "to find new solutions".
