From disinfecting public areas to delivering groceries, robots are helping us in the fight against COVID-19.
K9 the robot dog
A robot dog named K9 is being used in Thailand – especially in shopping malls – to dispense hand sanitiser. The automaton is controlled using 5G superfast internet – which means that K9 has almost immediate reaction times. The 5G connection is provided by AIS mobile operator, which aims to roll out a 5G network for smartphones by the end of this year.
K9 has another two 5G-powered companions: ROC, which checks temperatures, and Lisa, a customer service bot.
Cloud Ginger
It’s possibly the strangest name for a robot – for anything really. But Cloud Ginger – a robot made by CloudMinds – has proved its worth in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the COVID-19 outbreak began. The robot serves meals, takes temperatures, provides entertainment and even guides patients through stretching exercises.
BeamPro
Alexandra Hospital in Singapore is using BeamPro, a robot which can deliver medicine and meals to patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and who are residing in isolation wards. Medical staff control the robot from outside a room and can also use the robot to speak to patients via BeamPro’s screen and camera.
Spot
Built by Boston Dynamics, Spot is a quadruped robot that is being used to encourage social distancing obligations. The yellow robot is equipped with various cameras and sensors, which it uses to detect transgressors and broadcast pre-recorded warnings.
Efficient delivery
In the UK, a robot built by Starship Technologies is being used to make home deliveries. The six-wheeled robot delivers food and small shopping consignments to residents who cannot leave their home. Deliveries are quite efficient too as the robot can clock up a top speed of 4mph.
UVD robots
Built in Denmark, UVD robots are being used in Chinese hospitals to disinfect patients’ rooms. Emitting powerful UV lights, these robots destroy the DNA or RNA of any microorganisms in range. These robots can function autonomously as they are capable of ‘learning’ a hospital’s layout.