Automation, electrical components and inspection systems company Omron has partnered with medical equipment supplier Mamello Clinical Solutions to launch an autonomous mobile disinfectant device in South Africa – the Hero21.

Manufactured by Germany-based medical device company ICA Health, the Hero21 features an array of eight ultraviolet (UV) lights that emit rays in the UV-C spectrum – a powerful light-borne germicide.

The Hero21 – designed to disinfect surfaces and equipment – is mounted onto an Omron mobility robot, powered by batteries and put to work using a handheld tablet that enables an operator to designate specific paths and objectives in a designated space. This tablet is operated through WiFi networks, enabling its user to operate it from a separate room.

The robot is also capable of self-docking itself to a charging station to replenish its batteries. The Hero21 has a battery life of three-and-a-half hours.

The UV-C lights employed are powerful, making them harmful to humans and the Hero21 can, therefore, only be used in unoccupied spaces. In this regard, it employs motion sensors to determine whether a room is empty and makes a verbal announcement before starting to operate to warn people away.

It also communicates with mobile, wireless and solar-powered door sensors to determine whether a door to the room in which it is operating is opened, quickly ceasing operation in such an instance.

Onboard sensors, including a lidar sensor, provide 360° visibility, assisting the robot in avoiding collisions during transit and while in operation.

Besides its primary use in healthcare facilities, the Hero21 can also be used in high-traffic places such as airports, exhibition halls, offices, on aircraft and in hotel rooms, to disinfect surfaces once people have vacated.

The robotic system was co-developed by German Ruhr University Bochum and Omron. Omron has an assembly and distribution centre in Longmeadow, Johannesburg.