To reduce the risk of infection among frontline workers, Prof Xu Qingsong and his team in the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) of the University of Macau (UM) have developed Smart Cleaner, a low-cost intelligent disinfection robot, which can substitute for disinfection staff to disinfect air and surfaces in areas with serious outbreaks. The robot has been put into use in the outpatient building of Kiang Wu Hospital, some government offices, and the UM library. The response from the users has been very positive and they expressed intention to place custom orders.

Prof Xu and his team began to develop the robot in April 2020. Because the development of the components, programmes, modules, appearance design and assembly were all performed in-house, they were able to keep the cost low, which is beneficial for the popularisation of the robot. According to Prof Xu, each robot costs around MOP25,000 to MOP35,000, but robots with similar functions currently sell for about MOP370,000 on the market.

Prof Xu explains that the robot mainly uses 6% hydrogen peroxide disinfectant with silver ion for atomisation disinfection. In previous lab tests, the disinfectant sprayed by the robot reached a concentration of 600-800ppm (mg/L) in ten minutes and disinfected a space of 100 square metres within 15 minutes, with 99% disinfection and sterilisation. Prof Xu says that the robot uses a dry atomised disinfectant solution, so the chemical will dissipate quickly under ventilation instead of remaining in the disinfection area, which will reduce the damage to skin and the respiratory tract.

As long as the information about the disinfection site is pre-set in the system, the robot can scan the site with its radar and automatically create a map, plan its own trajectory and navigation, and avoid obstacles by scanning with the radar to disinfect as it goes. Users can choose to use the handle to direct the robot according to their needs or plan the disinfection route for the robot via the computer in advance. In environments with poor signal reception, such as warehouses or ICU units, users can use the camera and handle on the robot to view its surroundings and direct it, respectively.

Source: Communications Office

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