JOIN USAnti-COVID-19 disinfecting robot launched in Mangaluru
Vanora Robot, an innovative anti-COVID disinfecting robot, was launched at Tejaswini Hospital by Chairman of Tejaswini Hospital and Pro-Chancellor of Nitte University Dr M Shantharam Shetty in the presence of Dr K R Kamath, former president of Indian Medical Association (IMA, Mangaluru Branch), Brigadier I N Rai, cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Jayakrishnan and orthopaedic surgeon M Ajith Kumar.
The unique device is developed by Mangaluru- based robotics engineer Krishnan Nambiar, CEO and founder of Vanora Robots Pvt Ltd. The robotic platform Vanora Robot is designed as a support system for frontline fighters of the COVID-19. It is a fully functional unmanned robotic platform to disperse high doses of Type C Ultra Violet rays (at permissible level of about 300 J/m²) to destroy the structure of all bacteria, fungal spores, and many types of virus including various types of coronavirus.
Launching the new equipment Dr M Shantharam Shetty said, “Robots are the greatest innovations of the last decades and have taken over many challenging functions of humans. There is no need to fear COVID-19 pandemic. It is only a newly discovered member of the coronavirus family and we can fight it effectively through preventive measures like sanitizing, social distancing and disinfection of human environments. So let us fight this virus rather than fear it.”
Prajwal Shetty, Hardware Engineer of Vanora Robots Pvt Ltd, gave a live demonstration of the robot and said that it has been developed using indigenous technology. The first prototype of Vanora Robot, built at a cost of Rs 2.5 lakh was donated by the Satchidananda Charitable Medical Trust to the Government District Hospital, Kasargod, the inventor’s home town on Wednesday.
Vanora Robot can disinfect a room of 140 sq ft in less than 5 minutes, and during which it gives full visual access to the person controlling it remotely. It also constantly disinfects the floor it travels on. The specially designed wheels which give it multi-directional path make it very agile and easy to control without any technical skills or expertise. Its safety features include autonomous locomotion using artificial intelligence by which its inbuilt sensors will detect and prevent collision with approaching objects.