How Robots Became Essential in Responding to COVID-19

ment rules. Spot walks through a city park telling people he comes across to move a meter away from each other. Thanks to his cameras, he can also estimate the number of people present in the park.

Germ Killer Robots

Danish manufacturer UVD Robots builds machines that use an autonomous guided vehicle (AGV), much like those commonly found in industrial environments, as the base for an array of ultraviolet (UV) light transmitters that can destroy viruses.

At Siemens Corporate Technology China, the Advanced Manufacturing Automation (AMA), which has a focus on special and industrial robots; unmanned vehicles; and intelligent equipment for robotic applications, also moved quickly to help tackle the spread of the virus. The laboratory produced an intelligent disinfectant robot in just one week, explains Yu Qi, head of its research group. Its model, which is powered by a lithium battery, distributes a mist to neutralize COVID-19 and can disinfect between 20,000 and 36,000 square meters in one hour.

Preparing for the Next Pandemic With Robots

In industry, robots have also had an important role. They helped ramp up production volumes to meet increased demand for new products created by the pandemic. They were also involved in rapidly reconfiguring operations to make healthcare products such as masks or ventilators.

Edited by Lisa