The Role Of AI In The Covid-19 Crisis

At the starting of 2020, the Covid-19 outbreak and spread as a pandemic. Due to this, companies cut their expenses and robot manufacturers were certainly in an unprecedented situation. Customers and orders increased in this situation. The demand for robots raises because robots do not need masks, are disinfected easily and do not fall ill. Since then, a fleet of robots has been dispatched around the globe to assist in the global crisis. They were screening the patients, sanitizing clinics, delivering packages and assisting the frontline medical personnel in reducing the virus exposure. However, most of the robots require the supervision of humans directly. Some are limited to basic and repetitive tasks or functions. Despite the impediments, the robot owners claim that this situation has given their products a higher potential enabling them to grow smarter and more capable than before.

In a medical centre in Kigali, a team of robots worked as the frontline protectors to reduce human-to-human transmission of the virus. They have taken patient's temperatures by thermal cameras attached to their heads. The robots of China's UBTech Robotics are highly attractive to customers and the public, with their unique appearance resembling the characters of the renowned Star Wars film. 

Similarly, robots in the medical facilities take over regular tasks of the nurses allowing the staff to focus on critical necessities. Aimbot, the robot drives around in China's Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, spraying disinfectant while implementing social-distancing and face-mask laws.  A humanoid robot built by Diligent Robotics gathers medications and delivers them to patients' cells in a medical facility near Austin, Texas. It performs this mission 24 hours a day, seven days a week, enabling hospital staff to invest additional time engaging with patients. Drones, too, were used by administrators in many countries to execute lockdowns and social-distancing rules.

Similarly, robots in the medical facilities take over the regular tasks of the nurses. They allow the staff to focus on critical necessities. Aimbot, the robot drives around in China's Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, spraying disinfectant while implementing social-distancing and face-mask laws.  A humanoid robot built by Diligent Robotics gathers medications and delivers them to patients' cells in a medical facility near Austin, Texas. It performs this mission 24 hours a day, seven days a week, enabling hospital staff to invest additional time engaging with patients. Drones, too, were used by administrators in many countries to execute lockdowns and social-distancing rules.

The Laboratories and their scientists work tirelessly to keep up with the daily demand for virus tests and cures. Medical staff are required to be in close contact with infected persons to test and treat them. Here comes technology to the rescue. Almost every aspect of our lives has become dependent on technology. This time of crisis called for the best use of such technological tools. Automation companies worldwide have been exploring and experimenting with various ways in which robots can be used for multiple tasks and functions that humans have to perform with physical interaction.

Testing and deployment of robots have increased vastly across the world to take up a variety of tasks such as specimen handling, patient care, disinfection, sample collection and sometimes law enforcement. A robotics company based in Denmark known as UVD Robots recently developed several robots that are fully autonomous and used in ultraviolet disinfection. Despite its disinfectant nature, the lights are not healthy for humans, and for this reason, humans cannot disinfect using UV. Therefore, the robots' role in autonomous disinfection is highly effective and safe. Likewise, 'flowbotONE' is a robot specialized in specimen handling. The owning company, Flow Robotics, automated the robot to process tasting and handle samples and process pipetting in medical labs. The direct exposure of the personnel to live virus while collecting samples is highly risky and has an immense possibility of mishaps while testing them. The use of this robot has not only brought safety but also elevated the capacity and speed of processes more than the manual handling methods of testing.

Testing and deployment of robots have increased vastly across the world to take up a variety of tasks, such as specimen handling, patient care, disinfection, sample collection and sometimes law enforcement. A robotics company based in Denmark known as UVD Robots recently developed several robots that are fully autonomous and used in ultraviolet disinfection. The robot's role in autonomous disinfection is highly effective and safe. Likewise, 'flowbot one' is a robot specialized in specimen handling. The owning company, Flow Robotics, automated the robot to process tasting and handle samples and process pipetting in medical labs. The direct exposure of the personnel to live virus while collecting samples is highly risky and has an immense possibility of mishaps while testing them. The use of this robot has not only brought safety but also elevated the capacity and speed of processes more than the manual handling methods of testing.

In the pandemic, two clear opportunities for robots are visible, fight against the virus and perform tasks that are not easy for humans to perform while socially distant and isolated from one another. There are several needs that are to be urgently addressed, and vital changes are to be made as we recover from the emergency situations. In the long term, an impact will be left on the world and the way it operates in the future. And in the picture of this timeline, it is very important to emphasize that the robots are present as well. The robots are widespread in four arenas serving during these challenging times. This includes Robots on the frontline, logistics robots, companion robots and manufacturing robots.

Further, home automation has also been aiding highly in achieving the social distancing, limited touch and security objectives as robotics has a higher hand to play and has proven the same in a very short term. It is also evident that the future holds immensely for robotics. And it is those digitally transformed and automated manufacturing facilities and supply chains that will deliver the agility and resilience needed to withstand the next major disruption. These digital transformations, automated manufacturing companies and distribution channels will have the versatility and durability required to weather the next big disturbance. 

The next era of service robot technology will have a huge effect on business sustainability, job creation and customer satisfaction. As a result, the issue of robot interference will become a hot topic in our civilization. This massive transformation should be followed by a thorough understanding of the subject that takes into account the perspectives of all stakeholders, which is still indeed a work in progress:- Jalaluddin Mohd Ansari Shajahan, CEO, Crexcorp Technology Solutions Pvt. Ltd.