A research team at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering have updated a three-year old robot to disinfect surfaces infected with COVID-19 using UV light.
The team of researchers launched the robot ADAMMS-UV, an updated model of the ADDAMS robot. Originally released in 2017, ADAMMS, the Agile Dexterous Autonomous Mobile Manipulation System, was designed to complete repetitive tasks, such as transporting equipment and opening doors.
The updated model includes a robotic arm with six joints fitted with a UV light to allow for flexibility to disinfect smaller spaces, such as coffee mugs and keyboards. The team tested the robot at the Viterbi Center for Advanced Manufacturing, and found that in order for it to be effective as a disinfectant, the UV light needs to be aimed at the surface for a specific period of time.
While updating the robot was not difficult, the current circumstances complicated the process. Given social distancing guidelines and USC campus safety standards, the teams used Zoom planning sessions and worked individually.
Only three members of the team were able to visit the robot in person at USC.
The researchers said one of the major features of the robot is that it can be used remotely.
“People sitting at home can operate these robots and disinfect spaces, like in hospitals or in areas where we do not want humans to go and risk their lives,” Shantanu Thakar, one of the Ph.D students on the research team, said in an interview with Annenberg Media. “Since it’s remote operated, a person sitting in LA can operate a robot in New York, or anywhere in the world.”
In order to determine if UV light was a viable solution to kill the COVID-19 virus, the team interviewed Andrea Armani, Ray Irani Chair in Engineering and Material Sciences. From there, the team began working under the director of the USC Viterbi Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM), SK Gupta.
The 2017 team of researchers included Ph.D and Master’s students in the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (AME) and Computer Science (CS) programs. The team grew to include more students from the AME and CS programs, as well as a research scientist from CAM.
The researchers said the robot can be used in many places with just slight modifications.
“Based upon what kind of environment it has been used, or deployed at, you can change all these dimensions and sizes,” Ph.D. student Rishi Malhan told Annenberg Media. “That adds to the versatility of the robot, and in which case it can be used in different places by making simple modifications to the platform.”
The team told Annenberg Media that the robot is designed to be versatile and easy to use, even for people with very little training.
Thakar said the reason they tried to make the user interface and the operation of the robot intuitive for the users is to help with rising unemployment during the pandemic.
“My goal is that we have such robots in places where we actually train people to operate this robot, so that people who are right now losing their jobs can easily get a job by staying at their home,” Thakar said.
The team said the robot is not intended to replace jobs held by humans, according to NBC Bay Area.
For surfaces that do not respond to UV light, the team hopes to integrate a disinfection liquid into the model. The robot is not yet widely available, but the team plans to deploy it in hospitals, offices and grocery stores.