Public transit is particularly vulnerable to disruption and shocks from pandemics due to the collective nature of its mobility. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new needs to keep all facilities clean for the safety of people at all times. To prevent the spread of coronavirus through transit facilities, keeping surfaces disinfected is incredibly important. The aim of this project is to contribute to the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in ground public transport, airlines, and other enclosed areas.Robots are one of the most efficient no-contact technologies to inactivate microorganisms. In this project, Advent will develop an autonomous, low-power robot called A-RoD, Advent Robot to Disinfect viruses, equipped with UV lamps and liquid disinfectant spraying devices.The main objective is to conduct a feasibility-study of the potential solutions to develop, prototype and test robots to disinfect and decontaminate transit assets.A-RoDs will be equipped with four wheeled legs enabling omnidirectional movements for the robot to climb stairs and move into buses and trains, thus, providing an easy and safe way to disinfect surfaces. Additionally, the robots will harbor a self-cleaning mechanism to minimize human exposure to the virus.
