AI and Robotics Deployed Worldwide to Combat COVID-19 Spread
Artificial intelligence and robotics play a growing role in the global response to the COVID-19 outbreak. From disinfecting robots to thermal camera systems, these technologies help detect the virus and protect medical workers.
The COVID-19 coronavirus creates a massive global public health emergency that disrupts travel and threatens to cut global economic growth in half. As the world faces this novel disease, artificial intelligence emerges as a crucial tool to help fight the virus and mitigate its widespread impact on society.
Companies deploy a variety of robotic solutions to limit human exposure to the virus in health care facilities. Danish company UVD Robots sends autonomous machines that roam hospital rooms using UV light to kill bacteria and viruses, while XAG Robot uses drones and sprayers to disinfect areas in Guangzhou. However, not all robotic deployments prove effective, as some screening robots still require people to touch potentially contaminated surfaces.
AI also enhances detection capabilities through thermal sensor cameras that perform real-time temperature checks in public spaces. Facilities in Singapore utilize smartphone-based systems from startup KroniKare to quickly identify individuals with fevers. These machine learning solutions represent a key part of the technological response as health organizations worldwide strive to track and contain the outbreak.