ROBOT: This robot, capable of disinfecting the coronavirus will be marketed in early 2021
After masks, connected accessories and other mobile applications, a new technological object will soon make its appearance in the fight against the coronavirus: an autonomous disinfection robot. The latter was developed by the electronics manufacturer LG and will be able to decontaminate spaces by projecting UV-C light.
For many years, hospitals, nursing homes and other laboratories have already used this type of light to disinfect their premises. We are also talking about UV germicidal lamps. These allow both surfaces to be decontaminated, but also the air.
The LG Cloi Disinfectbot can indeed move alone in the aisles of shops and between restaurant tables to disinfect surfaces frequently touched by people.
Limited use
If LG’s autonomous disinfectant robot concept is appealing, the electronics manufacturer’s project must still be tempered. The use of UV-C light to disinfect surfaces requires that the environment in which the robot is moving is empty. The UV-C radiation can indeed be harmful to people.
This is also why the LG robot has movement sensors capable of detecting the presence of individuals up to 5 meters away. The robot will be able to deactivate its radiation if it detects a person nearby. LG has also indicated that its robots equipped with UV-C lamps would above all be intended for use in places divided into several separate and independent spaces such as in hotels, hospitals or schools. For restaurants, shops and other offices, the Korean manufacturer is working on a robot model equipped with a disinfectant diffuser that can be used despite the presence of people nearby.
LG will unveil its robot in detail at CES in 2021 and plans to release it early next year.
