Covid-19: Development of A Robotic Disinfection System for Covid-19

Covid-19：针对 Covid-19 的机器人消毒系统的开发

• 批准号: 550112-2020
• 负责人: Xi, Fengfeng
• 金额: $ 3.5万
• 依托单位: Ryerson University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=701266
• 关键词: Covid; 19; Development; Robotic; Disinfection

The outbreak of COVID-19 has taken its toll on Canada and around the world, impacting and threatening our life. To curtail the spread, all levels of government have announced several measures such as social distancing, hand washing, and mask-wearing. One main route of viral transmission is through touching contaminated objects and surface areas because COVID-19 pathogens can remain infectious for extended periods of time from hours to days. For this reason, there is an imminent demand to find effective disinfection methods for public settings including hospitals and long-term care facilities. However, existing non-contact disinfection methods which are either chemical-based or UV light-based, are both hazardous to humans. To resolve this issue, the objective of the proposed research is to develop a non-contact robotic disinfection method that is safe to the operator. Specifically, two disinfection methods that are much less harmful to humans will be investigated: 1) blue light and 2) heated air. Two corresponding disinfection devices with computer control will be developed, tested and compared. The robotic system will consist of a moving platform, a robot, and a disinfection device. The goal is to have a quick set up at a target location for operation within 5-10 minutes. By using a robot to reduce the need for humans to be directly involved in non-contact disinfection processes we will simultaneously reduce health risks to workers who are currently exposed to hazardous environments and provide an efficient means of disinfecting and sanitizing public settings. This project will be conducted in collaboration with a leading Canadian robotics company (Engineering Services Inc.- ESI) and a medical professional with expertise in Internal Medicine and Toxicology. Developed systems will continue to be widely applicable for the disinfection of public spaces beyond the immediate crisis of the COVID - 19 global pandemic. The outcome of the project will therefore ensure public safety and wellbeing in this arduous time and for many years to come with long-lasting and significant impact in reducing risks for the spread of not only COVID - 19, but also other bacterial and viral contaminants in future.

Covid-19的爆发对加拿大和世界各地造成了损失，影响和威胁了我们的生命。为了减少利差，所有级别的政府宣布了几项措施，例如社会距离，洗手和戴口罩。病毒传播的一条主要途径是通过接触受污染的物体和表面积，因为Covid-19病原体可以在长时间的长时间内保持传染性。因此，即将要求为公共环境（包括医院和长期护理设施）找到有效的消毒方法。但是，现有的非接触式消毒方法是基于化学的或基于紫外线的，对人类都是危险的。为了解决这个问题，拟议的研究的目的是开发一种对操作员安全的非接触机器人消毒方法。具体而言，将研究两种对人类有害的消毒方法：1）蓝光和2）加热空气。将开发，测试和比较两个具有计算机控制的相应消毒设备。机器人系统将由移动平台，机器人和消毒设备组成。目标是在5-10分钟内在目标位置进行快速设置。通过使用机器人来减少人类直接参与非接触式消毒过程的需求，我们将同时向目前暴露于危险环境的工人降低健康风险，并提供有效的消毒和消毒和卫生公共环境的方法。该项目将与一家领先的加拿大机器人公司（Engineering Services Inc.- ESI）和具有内科和毒理学专业知识的医学专业人员合作进行。开发的系统将继续广泛地适用于在COVID即时危机之外的公共场所 - 19全球大流行。因此，该项目的结果将确保在这个艰苦的时期和多年来确保公共安全和福祉，从而在降低散布的风险方面持续持久而重大影响-19，以及将来其他细菌和病毒污染物的传播。