Autonomous UV-C disinfectant robot launched in SA
Automation, electrical components and inspection systems company Omron has partnered with medical equipment supplier Mamello Clinical Solutions to launch an autonomous mobile disinfectant device in South Africa – the Hero21.
Manufactured by Germany-based medical device company ICA Health, the Hero21 features an array of eight ultraviolet (UV) lights that emit rays in the UV-C spectrum – a powerful light-borne germicide.
The Hero21 – designed to disinfect surfaces and equipment – is mounted onto an Omron mobility robot, powered by batteries and put to work using a handheld tablet that enables an operator to designate specific paths and objectives in a designated space. This tablet is operated through WiFi networks, enabling its user to operate it from a separate room.
The robot is also capable of self-docking itself to a charging station to replenish its batteries. The Hero21 has a battery life of three-and-a-half hours.
The UV-C lights employed are powerful, making them harmful to humans and the Hero21 can, therefore, only be used in unoccupied spaces. In this regard, it employs motion sensors to determine whether a room is empty and makes a verbal announcement before starting to operate to warn people away.
It also communicates with mobile, wireless and solar-powered door sensors to determine whether a door to the room in which it is operating is opened, quickly ceasing operation in such an instance.
Onboard sensors, including a lidar sensor, provide 360° visibility, assisting the robot in avoiding collisions during transit and while in operation.
Besides its primary use in healthcare facilities, the Hero21 can also be used in high-traffic places such as airports, exhibition halls, offices, on aircraft and in hotel rooms, to disinfect surfaces once people have vacated.
The robotic system was co-developed by German Ruhr University Bochum and Omron. Omron has an assembly and distribution centre in Longmeadow, Johannesburg.
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