Autonomous robotic cleaners have become an essential tool in handling sanitation since the COVID-19 pandemic. One sanitation robot can clean up to 200,000 square feet in under three hours, making disinfecting bots much faster than human staff. Disinfecting bots will also protect frontline cleaning staff from contracting diseases from cleaning high-risk areas, like hospitals. 

Disinfecting bot context

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for safe and efficient sanitation methods to reduce the risk of the disease. To meet this need, industry is gradually turning to robots. 

For example, Montreal hospitals are testing disinfecting bots that use ultraviolet radiation to kill dangerous bacteria and viruses on different surfaces. The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre stated that disinfecting bots will improve patient safety and protect hospital staff. Researchers are also currently looking into how well disinfecting bots work on sanitizing stretchers and N-95 masks. Experts believe that the algorithms developed for disinfecting bots allow them to spot and clean infection hotspots better than existing sanitation systems. 

Companies like Avidbots are seeing greater demand, collecting up to 36 billion dollars in funding in 2021. Their disinfecting bot, called Neo, can thoroughly clean floors. Co-founders of Avidbots are stressing the dangers faced by cleaning staff in light of the pandemic, putting forth their robot as a solution that doesn’t risk lives. Similarly, the bot named Breezy One, developed by Build With Robots, uses a disinfectant mist to clean. However, one disadvantage of disinfecting steam is that developers will need to adjust the bot to disinfect rooms with different airflows properly. 

Disruptive impact 

COVID-19 may soon become endemic like the seasonal flu, persisting in multiple regions with varying degrees of severity. Therefore, it’s highly likely that sales for disinfecting bots will continue to rise into the foreseeable future. 

Furthermore, general trends show that consumers are becoming more conscious of the significance of proper sanitation, which will further broaden the market. In addition, developers will likely make disinfecting bots tailored for home use, including customizable features like scheduled disinfections. 

Applications of disinfecting bots

Implications of disinfecting bots might include: 

• Traditional cleaning companies reducing human cleaning staff, while investing in expensive sanitation bots for select large clients.
• Businesses replacing some cleaning and janitorial staff with robots as a cheaper or more effective alternative.
• Creating new jobs for technicians to manage and maintain disinfecting bots in various workplaces. 
• Adverse effects on the population since, ironically, overly sanitized may impair people’s natural immune systems from being exposed to and building natural defenses against various germs, diseases, viruses, and fungi. 

Questions to comment on

• Do you think disinfecting bots are more cost-effective than cleaning staff?
• How long do you think it will take for disinfecting bots to replace traditional cleaning services?