LG Electronics is working on an autonomous robot that uses ultraviolet light to disinfect what the South Korean tech giant describes as “high-touch, high-traffic areas”.
In an announcement this week, LG said it would try to introduce the technology to US-based retail, education, hospitality and corporate customers starting early next year.
In a statement, Roh Kyu-chan, head of the robot division at LG’s Business Solutions Company, said, “This autonomous UV robot comes at a time when hygiene is the top priority for hotel guests, students and restaurant customers.”
“Customers expect a higher level of hygiene in the contactless ecosystem we are now dealing with,” said Roh.
According to LG, his robot will use UV-C light. There are three main types of UV radiation: UV-A, UV-B and UV-C.
The United States Food and Drug Administration has described the latter as a “known disinfectant for air, water and non-porous surfaces.”
Regarding the current pandemic, the FDA notes that there is currently “limited published data on the wavelength, dose and duration of UVC radiation required to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus.”
For many people around the world, concerns about cleanliness and hygiene have increased due to the coronavirus pandemic. There is also discussion within the scientific community about the risk of transmission from inanimate objects.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says on its website, “It is possible that a person could get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object with the virus and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes.”
However, it adds, “Diffusion by touching surfaces is not considered a common way for COVID-19 to spread.” According to the CDC, the most common way the virus spreads is through close contact between people.
LG Electronics is one of many large organizations and companies developing technology that focuses on UV-C as a disinfectant.
In October, Transport for London announced that more than 200 devices that use ultraviolet light to purify surfaces would be installed on London’s sprawling underground train network.
TfL said the technology would be deployed on the handrails of 110 escalators over a period of several weeks.
According to the conveyor body, the device uses a “small dynamo” to produce energy from the movement of the handrail, which in turn drives the UV lamp used to clean the surface.
Elsewhere, Signify – a major player in the lighting industry – now offers what it describes as a “desk lamp” for sale in selected countries in Asia. The “lamp” can be used to disinfect rooms in homes.
See, no hands
While some are turning to UV light to reduce concerns about cross-contamination and virus spread, others are trying to roll out systems that could change the way we physically interact with public spaces.
Even before the pandemic, motion-activated faucets and toilets began to be rolled out in busy transportation hubs such as train stations and airports.
Earlier this month, GEZE UK, specializing in door, window and security technology, stuck to the theme of bathrooms it had developed in what it described as a “Hands Free WC Door Kit”.
The system, which uses sensors and is based on “contactless activation”, can be connected to the common outside door of a public toilet.
This, the company says, ensures that “those who leave the washroom don’t have to touch the door after washing their hands.”