Researchers from the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California (USC) are modifying an existing robot to enable it to disinfect hard-to-reach surfaces.

The Agile Dexterous Autonomous Mobile Manipulation System (ADAMMS), which was developed several years ago by Viterbi School engineers, is already capable of opening doors, picking up items and carrying items. However, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the engineers added a robotic arm with six joints and an ultraviolet (UV) wand to its design, earning it the name ADAMMS-UV.

Source: USC Viterbi

Guided by algorithms, the remote controlled ADAMMS-UV can use its UV wand to clean and sanitize surfaces and hard-to-reach areas such as a deep cupboard, for instance. Initially, ADAMMS-UV scans its surroundings to determine the composition of the surfaces to disinfect and adjusts the UV light intensity accordingly.

Eventually, the team intends to deploy ADAMMS-UV to hospitals, office buildings and grocery stores. In the meantime, the researchers are working to make the system entirely remote controlled.

To see ADAMMS-UV in action, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of the Viterbi School of Engineering.