Robots
More than five months have passed after Wuhan, the ninth-most populous Chinese city became the originator of SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic.
After Wuhan went into lockdown, it marked the beginning of COVID-19 restrictions and protective measures that the world practices to this day.
The world’s largest pharmaceuticals and scientists are still in the middle of their clinical trials in search for vaccine and treatment.
When they finally have the approval from the food and drugs administration, how do you scale up the quantity and deliver to billions of people around the world in just a short period of time. Robotics and automation are key factors in speeding up the process and scaling up its quantity.
As proof of human ingenuity, many innovations and technological marvels have emerged to help us live with the virus and return to work and leisure safely… all in less than a year.
The World Economic Forum’s crowdsourcing platform UpLink is looking for the best solutions around the world to tackle today’s most pressing issues.
It has proven that there is no geographical hurdle for brilliant minds. They can come from literally anywhere in the world.
Here are 5 areas of everyday life where robotics, automation, IoT and inventions are lightening the load for individuals. While we can never truly return to the life we once lived prior to the outbreak, these inventions are preparing us for the new normal.
Dining out
A study by Kantar found that dining out and being with friends in a bar is what people missed most about not having to socially distance themselves from one another. Different companies in the world have come up with robot servers, miniature houses to eat in, and protective cases.
Shopping
Almost all groceries and markets now have disinfectant walls and automatic sprays before a person enters the establishment. People are also able to pull and push doors without holding them with their hands.
Communication
Face masks, while an essential protective garment against COVID-19, is not inclusive to those with deafness. In response, a new line of face masks with a clear plastic wall was made so that people can read lips.
A simple yet impactful change as it still works wonders in keeping the coronavirus out.
Cleaning
In apartments and establishments, there has been an emergence of machines that sense hands and automatically dispenses disinfectants like hand sanitizer or ethyl alcohol.
Social distancing
Made by U.S. company Boston Dynamics, a robot named Spot patrols the park and reminds visitors on Singapore to maintain social distancing by saying: “Let’s keep Singapore healthy. For your own safety, and for those around you, please stand at least one metre apart. Thank you.”
Robots are indeed making social distancing effective and efficient.
Despite these innovative robots, COVID-19 is still very much a real threat that must be taken seriously. These robots and automation innovations are meant to ease the lives of others but it will not matter if people continue to disobey the rules meant to protect them.
That being said, we encourage everyone to follow their own country’s anti-pandemic regulations in order to foster a cleaner tomorrow for all.
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