Omron partners with Techmetics Robotics to launch UVC disinfection robot

The Asia-Pacific division of industrial automation giant Omron has forayed into UVC disinfection with the launch of its robot – LD UVC.

The robot is a co-creation with Techmetics Robotics, a provider of autonomous service robots, to “enable organisations fight the spread of infectious diseases effectively and conveniently”, says Omron.

The UVC light has been proven to be effective in breaking down the pathogens’ DNA and RNA beyond recovery, stopping them from replicating.

Omron LD-UVC navigates autonomously and disinfects premises including the high-touch areas by eliminating 99.9 per cent of bacteria and viruses – both airborne and droplet – by delivering the precise dosage of UVC energy.

The LD UVC robot is equipped with lasers and Passive Infrared (PIR) motion sensors, for obstacle detection and avoidance, and it manoeuvres through narrow corridors, elevators, and even automatic doors seamlessly.

It also shuts off its UVC light upon human detection, ensuring impeccable safety for human beings.

Suitable for indoor spaces, the robot follows a mapped route, reducing the requirement of manpower resources dedicated for manual cleaning.

Features like bumper, sonar and emergency stop render additional safety.

The machine has an automatic charging and smooth touch interface for control. All this makes it an ideal gadget for facility management across hospitals, hotels, malls, event venues, airports, corporate office to name just a few.

With a simple integration of software, the robot gets up and running in minimal installation time and needs no modifications or construction of the premises.

Takehito Maeda, managing director of industrial automation business, Omron Asia Pacific, says: “Given the utmost significance of sanitization and disinfection in the post Covid-19 era, we believe the robot will yield a great value to organizations who are struggling to find the right, effective, less labour-intensive and long-term solutions to ensure their premises are safe and germ-free.

“Driven with the mission to contribute to a better society by identifying social needs, Omron seeks to collaborate with capable & like-minded partners to come up with innovative solutions. Our collaboration with Techmetics Robotics signifies the same.”

Mathan Muthupillai, founder and CEO of Techmetics Robotics, says: “Omron is one of our most trusted partners in the mobile robot domain. With the introduction of UVC application, we have taken a significant leap together to cater to a very important social need by empowering the organisations with an advanced and effective solution to manage the Covid-19 threat.”

The integration of UVC technology is just another example of the flexibility and adaptability inherent in Omron mobile robots.

With the largest install base in the world, Omron mobile robots have been deployed in thousands of applications across multiple industries such as material handling, hospitability, automotive manufacturing to name just a few.

The main features of the robot are:

• eight UVC lamps placed in a circle provide full 360° coverage to eliminate 99.9 per cent of bacteria and viruses
;
• PIR Motion Sensors on all four sides to detect human presence and trigger UVC light to turn off immediately
;
• lidar Sensors for toe, high level, and overhanging obstacles detection to avoid collisions
;
• stainless steel Lamp Guard to safeguard the lamp from collision against protruding objects
;
• built-In audio and visual buzzer, speech and display to provide warning alert before turning on UVC light; and
• 13 hours battery life for robot movement and 3.5 hours for UV operation.