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. 2023 Dec 21;24(1):53.
doi: 10.3390/s24010053.

An Autonomous Mobile Combination Disinfection System

Zifan Yao  1 , Na Ma  2   3 , Youdong Chen  1
Affiliations

An Autonomous Mobile Combination Disinfection System

Zifan Yao et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

To address the common drawbacks of current disinfection robots, which include the potential for secondary environmental pollution, disinfection dead corners, and low efficiency, in this paper, an autonomous mobile combination disinfection system is proposed. The system utilizes ultraviolet (UV) radiation and a low-concentration hydrogen peroxide aerosol to kill pathogens. It comprises three parts: a human-computer interface, a mobile robot, and disinfection equipment. A disinfection process model with continuous and fixed-point modes was established, and the effective disinfection range, speed, and duration were quantitatively calculated. The developed prototype was tested on-site by a professional third-party testing agency. The experimental results demonstrated that the combination disinfection robot achieved a 92.95% disinfection rate of natural airborne bacteria in a room measuring 22 square meters with a height of 2.8 m in just 30 min. The disinfection efficiency is at least 25% higher compared to standalone UV lamp disinfection and also exhibits a noticeable improvement over standalone hydrogen peroxide aerosol disinfection. The system enables the environmentally friendly, rapid, efficient, and all-encompassing disinfection of natural airborne bacteria. Finally, various disinfection solutions and recommendations for different application scenarios and requirements are provided.

Keywords: UV; aerosol; autonomous mobile robot; combination disinfection; disinfection efficacy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Autonomous mobile combination disinfection robot.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic diagram of the autonomous mobile disinfection robot system.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The main human–computer interface.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Schematic diagram of the experimental site layout (unit/meter).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Schematic diagram of the process of disinfecting the area directly in front of the robot.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Schematic diagram of disinfecting the area at the front side of the robot.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Schematic diagram of continuous disinfection.
Figure 8
Figure 8
The effective disinfection area of the UV lamp group.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Schematic diagram of fixed-point disinfection.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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