Innovative MIT Robot Uses UV Light to Combat Coronavirus Spread
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Chapter 1: The Rise of COVID-19 and the Need for Disinfection
As COVID-19 cases rise across the United States, many states are easing restrictions and reopening businesses. With individuals returning to public spaces and workplaces, the necessity to eliminate coronavirus particles from surfaces has never been more critical. To address this challenge, MIT has introduced a robot designed to navigate environments and disinfect surfaces using UV light. This innovative system has already been trialed at a food bank in the Boston area, yielding positive outcomes.
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Section 1.1: Understanding the Threat of Coronavirus
The primary source of coronavirus particles is individuals who are infected. These individuals can leave viruses on surfaces and in the air, where they may remain infectious for several days. The UV robot, developed by the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at MIT, aims to eliminate these harmful particles from public areas by harnessing the power of ultraviolet radiation.
Subsection 1.1.1: The Science Behind UV Light
You've likely heard about the risks associated with UV-A and UV-B light from medical professionals and sunscreen advertisements. UV-C, a more energetic type of ultraviolet radiation, has wavelengths ranging from 280 to 100 nanometers. For context, UV-A extends up to 400nm, and X-rays begin at around 10nm. Due to its higher energy, UV-C is significantly more harmful to living organisms than its counterparts. Fortunately, the atmosphere absorbs UV-C from the sun before it reaches the earth, but artificial UV-C can be utilized effectively for sterilization purposes.
Section 1.2: The Technology Behind the Robot
The robotic framework for this project comes from Ava Robotics, known for their telepresence robots. In this case, the standard screen atop the robot was replaced with a specialized UV lighting system. MIT chose to pilot this technology at the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB). Given that UV-C poses risks to all living organisms, the robot operates only in unoccupied areas. As a telepresence machine, it can be remotely controlled to navigate the GBFB by following pre-set waypoints, after which it can operate autonomously.
Chapter 2: Efficient Disinfection in Public Spaces
As the robot travels through the aisles at a speed of 0.22 miles per hour, its UV-C light sweeps across all surfaces. It takes approximately half an hour to disinfect a 4,000 square foot area, emitting sufficient UV-C energy to neutralize around 90% of coronaviruses and other pathogens present on surfaces. Currently, the focus is on enhancing the software algorithms that power the GBFB system, with hopes of developing more robotic UV cleaning devices. CSAIL aims to leverage the insights gained from the GBFB pilot to create automated UV cleaning solutions for dormitories, educational institutions, airplanes, and grocery stores.
The second video titled "Arduino Corona virus Robot | UV sterilisation" explores the implementation of Arduino technology in UV sterilization robots, showcasing their effectiveness in combating the virus.