Universal Robots and Other Robotic Leaders Step Up to Help
As COVID-19 spreads across the globe, robotics companies are stepping up with innovative technology to help fight the virus.
Many countries already have strict procedures to help stop the spread of the virus. In many nations, staggering numbers of companies, doctors, and volunteers are answering government calls to help tackle the emergency.
Several robotics companies in the industry are also contributing to this effort by providing their employees and the healthcare sector with medical equipment or other types of support.
Universal Robots Continuing Production and Offering Support
Cobots are particularly. useful during this time. Universal Robots has recently announced uninterrupted and fully operational customer support.
The company arranged for all employees not playing a critical role in production and logistics to work remotely, and have provided them with modern remote communication tools to continue assisting with the needed expertise and support.
Universal Robots has also ensured suppliers' continuity in shipments, although it has warned certain operations might take longer in key regions in order to mitigate potential air shipment difficulties. Despite the challenges, they are working to deliver robots and cobots and continue all operations.
Robotic Gripper Company Reaching to Help
Gripping systems expert, Schunk, also said it will offer user support through all their digital channels.
The company said their support team will be available via email, phone, Skype, GoToMeeting and WeChat in Asia. Robots are already being used in several parts of the world to treat COVID-19 patients, to protect doctors and nurses from the risks of getting infected.
Benchmark gripper. Image used courtesy of SCHUNK.
Machines with gripping systems are particularly useful to achieve this purpose and have been deployed in China to perform many such tasks, including gathering old bedsheets and disposing of medical waste.
Being Diligent With Resources
Another company working to support doctors and nurses this way is Diligent Robots. This startup, focusing on artificial intelligence and robotics, specializes in making nurse assistant robots for hospitals.
Diligent Robots has recently closed a $10 million Series A funding round aimed at developing his Moxi robot further and to deploy it in more countries to tackle the coronavirus emergency.
Moxi can help nurses by fetching supplies, delivering samples to labs and gathering soiled linens. The human-sized robot features a height-adjustable pillar, an arm equipped with a gripper hand and eyes that move to indicate the direction it is going towards. It has also been programmed to acknowledge and follow nurses’ vocal instructions.
While the pandemic is still going on, it is certain that industry leaders are stepping up to make a difference. Many turn to companies like this for new products and the latest technology, and are now turning to them for support.
The Moxi robot. Image used courtesy of Diligent Robots.
People’s lives around the world have been affected like never before since war times, and several industries are suffering too, laying down staff and being unable to provide people with goods.
Still, despite all this, the capacity of resilience and getting together of people is showing consistently in so many scenarios it is hard not to get optimistic.
Hopefully, this crisis is going to pass soon. Until then, we hope to continue to see companies stepping up to help in any way they can.
What is your company doing to help out during this time? Let us know in the comments.
