Page 11 - Accelerating Research and Impact - Issue 7

HUMANITARIAN INNOVATIONS 8
Cleaning and disinfecting public spaces have become increasingly important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Having provided free sanitisation service for more than 1,000 subdivided flats ( 劏房 ) with
a mobile UV-C germicidal device designed by LEI last year, the team has made another achievement by constructing a smart Autonomous UV-C Disinfection Robot to carry out thorough and efficient UV disinfection for large indoor establishments. The fully automatic disinfection process sanitizes a 400-square- foot area in just about 10 minutes, and is far more effective and five times faster than manual work using 1:99 diluted bleach.
The robot provides 360-degree coverage with ultraviolet rays, and sanitises every corner of a designated venue. It works on a 253.7 nm wavelength and obliterates viruses, bacteria and fungi with 99% reliability, preventing the spread of pathogens through the air and on the surface of objects.
Since UV-C is harmful to human skin and eyes, the robot is designed to operate independently, allowing disinfection to be conducted during off-hours of a venue. It is equipped with a laser-based radar system (LiDAR), to conduct laser surveying and terrain mapping for obstacle detection. It can plan a path for disinfection and navigate intelligently to the destination. It is particularly suitable for use in venues like schools, residential care homes, rehabilitation homes, libraries and sports centres. There is also a built-in intelligent sensor to shut down the robot if it detects any animals or humans nearby.
Autonomous UV-C Disinfection Robot