Despite being the most affected country by coronaviruses, China has been swift in responding to the epidemic with a focus on technology including social media and QR codes. And now, medics in Shangai are being accompanied by six smart robots that use 5G technology.

According to the developer, China Mobile, the smart robots help the medics with disinfecting, cleaning patient areas, delivering medicines and lower the risk of cross-infection and ensure the safety of medics.

They can also be used in isolation wards, operation rooms and fever clinics for improving the efficiency of coronavirus prevention and control.

Apart from these smart robots, several other smart devices using 5G thermal imagers and 5G health monitors have been developed by leading telecom operators in Shangai. To ensure the 5G telecommunication services, seven 5G base stations have been established near the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre.

As mentioned by 5GRadar, the Chinese network equipment maker ZTE and network operator China Telecom have collaborated using 5G technology to facilitate the first remote diagnosis of COVID-19. Remote diagnosis will help the Chinese government to take better control of the disease and reduce fatalities.

“Extreme cases make us rethink how we do things,” CNBC mentioned Dr. Robin Murphy, Raytheon professor of computer science & engineering at Texas A&M University who recalled the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Texas, which led to years of study by Murphy and others on emergency response. “A hospital lost a whole wing temporarily. Two ambulances were infected,” she said.

Wild ideas from the robotics world not only capture attention but also help healthcare experts design more automated solutions like robots performing routine medical work for contagious patients. Without really replacing or eliminating healthcare workers, these technologies can be used to free up medical staff and help them spend more time on direct care alongside reducing the risks of exposures.

Other ideas born out of an era of increasing pandemic risks include:

  • Robots designed for handling biohazardous waste
  • Robots for decontaminating rooms and ambulances
  • Robots that can change IV bags, since there’s an exposure risk
Robots will be a big part of the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show, a celebration of innovation for a sector undergoing turbulence
Robots will be a big part of the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show, a celebration of innovation for a sector undergoing turbulence GETTY IMAGES / ALEX WONG
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