CHENNAI: A low-cost
robot
to disinfect large areas, developed by
SSN
College of Engineering students, has won the first prize at the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Covid-19 hackathon.
Team ‘MedTex’ from SSN was one of the 10 finalists in the national-level online contest, which saw 500 registrations from industries and academia. B Geethanjali, mentor of the team, said the proposed device was a dual-purpose robot having four wheels and two motors, which can be used to either spray far-Ultraviolet-C (UVC) rays to disinfect distances up to 180cm or spray disinfectant towards specific areas.
The far-UVC rays alter the RNA of the pathogen and prevents its further multiplication, while aerosol sprayed through the nozzle disintegrates the protective lipid coating, said M Lokesh Kumar, a MedTex team member. Sai Kavya Neharika, S Shwetha and Sakthivel Sukeerthi were his teammates. It can be used to sterilize not only isolation wards in hospitals and public places, but also to disinfect N-95 masks for reuse. This will reduce biomedical waste, he added.
Students said the robot can be operated using a mobile app or work in auto mode. It would roughly cost ₹45,000, 80% less than similar commercial products.
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