LG Electronics is working on a standalone robot that uses ultraviolet light to disinfect what the South Korean tech giant describes as “areas of great touch and touch.”
In an announcement this week, LG said it would look to introduce the technology to U.S.-based retail, education, hospitality and business customers as early as next year.
In a statement, Roh Kyu-chan, who heads the robot business division at LG’s Business Solutions Company, said: “This standalone UV robot comes at a time when hygiene is the top priority for guests of the hotel, the students and the customers of the restaurants “.
“Customers in the contactless ecosystem we are in now will expect a higher level of hygiene,” Roh said.
According to LG, its robot will take advantage of UV-C light. There are three main types of UV radiation: UV-A, UV-B and UV-C.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has described the latter as a “disinfectant known for air, water, and non-porous surfaces.”
With regard to the current pandemic, the FDA notes that, at present, there are “limited published data on the wavelength, dose and duration of UVC radiation needed to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus.”
For many people around the world, concerns about cleanliness and hygiene have intensified due to the coronavirus pandemic. There is also debate within the scientific community about the risk of transmission of inanimate objects.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states on its website, “It is possible for a person to get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus and then touch their own mouth, nose, or eyes.” .
However, he adds: “Diffusion from tactile surfaces is not believed to be a common form of COVID-19 propagation.” According to the CDC, the most common form of virus spread is through close contact between people.
LG Electronics is one of the many major organizations and companies developing UV-C-focused technology as a disinfectant.
In October, Transport for London announced that more than 200 devices using ultraviolet light would be installed to clean up surfaces across London’s extensive underground train network.
TfL said the technology would be deployed on the railings of 110 escalators over a period of several weeks.
According to the transport body, the device uses a “small dynamo” to produce energy from the movement of the railing, which in turn feeds the UV bulb used to sanitize its surface.
Elsewhere, Signify, a major player in the lighting industry, now offers what it describes as a “desk lamp” for sale in certain Asian countries. The “light” can be used to disinfect rooms in homes.
Look, no hands
While some are turning to UV light to try to mitigate concerns related to cross-contamination and the spread of viruses, others are looking to deploy systems that can change our physical interaction with public spaces.
Even before the pandemic, movement-activated taps and toilets began to be deployed in concentrated transportation hubs such as train stations and airports.
Following the issue of bathrooms, earlier this month, GEZE UK, which specializes in technology related to doors, windows and security, said it had developed what it described as a “hands-free toilet kit”.
The system, which uses sensors and is based on “untouched activation,” can be connected to the outside community door of a public toilet.
This, according to the company, ensures “those who leave the toilet do not have to knock on the door after washing their hands.”