Designing and Deploying a Mobile UVC Disinfection Robot

• Published in: 2021 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) pp. 6700 - 6707
• Main Authors: Pierson, Alyssa, Romanishin, John W., Hansen, Hunter, Yanez, Leonardo Zamora, Rus, Daniela
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 27-09-2021
• Subjects: Adaptation models; Atmospheric modeling; Coronaviruses; Pandemics; Path planning; Pathogens; Radiation effects
• ISSN: 2153-0866
• DOI: 10.1109/IROS51168.2021.9636260

This paper presents a mobile UVC disinfection robot designed to mitigate the threat of airborne and surface pathogens. Our system comprises a mobile robot base, a custom UVC lamp assembly, and algorithms for autonomous navigation and path planning. We present a model of UVC disinfection and dosage of UVC light delivered by the mobile robot. We also discuss challenges and prototyping decisions for rapid deployment of the robot during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experimental results summarize a long-term deployment at The Greater Boston Food Bank, where the robot delivers (nightly) UVC dosages of at least 10 mJ/cm 2 to a 4000 ft 2 area in under 30 minutes. These dosages are capable of neutralizing 99% of coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, on surfaces and in airborne particles. Further simulations present how this mobile UVC disinfection robot may be extended to classic problems in robotic path planning and adaptive multi-robot coverage control.