Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have created an autonomous ultraviolet (UV) disinfecting robot from easy to access parts to ensure the safe return to the office, classroom and public transportation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The low-cost UVBot from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is composed of a UV lamp, a Roomba vacuum cleaner and 3D-printed parts to affix the UV lamp to the autonomous vacuum cleaner.

According to its developers, the low-cost disinfection strategy is significantly less expensive — costing around $1,000 — than other iterations of UV robots to have emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, which can cost around $50,000 each.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The lower cost robot, which is appealing especially for budget-constrained schools and companies, can be programmed to autonomously clean such spaces by exposing high-risk surfaces to UV light, which can reportedly inactivate the COVID-19 virus, according to the research team.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign team intends to publish the robot’s design, bill of materials, software and other associated details.