NGen invests $5M in manufacturing of disinfection robots
By PLANT STAFF
Industry Innovation & Technology Manufacturing COVID manufacturing NGen RoboticsDisinfection Robot Challenge targets innovative robotic solutions that reduce healthcare exposure to COVID-19s, or disinfects facilities.
OTTAWA — Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) is co-investing $5 million in projects leading to the production in Canada of automated hands-free disinfection technologies to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
The industry-led organization that leads Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster has selected five projects that with matching contributions from industry, will exceed $10 million.
The projects fall under NGen’s Disinfection Robot Challenge, which challenged companies to develop innovative robotic solutions that would reduce the number of healthcare-associated infections, or disinfect facilities so businesses could bring employees back to work in a safe environment. To qualify for funding, projects were expected to have a fast turnaround and demonstrate an impact on COVID-19 within six months.
NGen received 34 expressions of interest and 19 proposals from innovative companies across Canada. The following projects were selected for funding:
A&K Robotics, based in Vancouver, partnering with Sanctuary AI, will develop and rapidly bring to market Amrud, a self-driving robot capable of autonomously disinfecting large floor spaces and high-touch surfaces.
AIS, Advanced Intelligence Systems in Burnaby, BC will produce a robot that will map large-scale environments such as hospitals, navigate to interest points, and perform hands-free UV disinfection without requiring human intervention.
CrossWing in Aurora, Ont. will manufacture Cleanbot UV and Cleanbot MIST, two next-generation robots that overcome serious limitations of first-generation disinfecting systems. Cleanbot UV will allow for the targeted delivery of UV light. Cleanbot MIST will deliver a precisely measured spray dose to all common pathogen hotspots.
GlobalDWS in Toronto will develop GlobalDWS’ Disinfection Service Robot, a fully autonomous, voice-enabled service robotic platform with advanced cognitive capabilities. It’s equipped with an intelligent COVID-19 assistant, disinfectant sprayer, and UV-C light functionality to provide a comprehensive disinfection solution for essential businesses and public workplaces.
Prescientx, based in Cambridge, Ont., will develop and deploy a fleet of self-driving mobile robotic vehicles integrated with an UV light disinfection system to quickly and continuously sanitize essential workplaces. The solution will combine Prescientx’s patent-pending targeted CoolDose UVC technology with Clearpath Robotics’s OTTO autonomous mobile robot platform.
