Brave New World: Gentle robots to swab patients’ throats for coronavirus

We humans are about to enter a whole new world in which nothing will be the same, so don't be surprised if you see an unusual group of staff at hospitals when seeking to get tested for a possible infection.

Robotics technology in particular is playing an essential role in the fight against Covid-19, the world's first pandemic in decades.

Friendly robots have been screening body temperatures of possible COVID-19 patients, measuring blood pressure, disinfecting areas, delivering food, helping people to maintain social distance, and sometimes even making decisions without any human involvement.

Now, a new Danish robotics startup is aiming to task newly-developed robots with taking throat swabs in a bid to minimize contact between Covid-19 patients and healthcare workers.

Lifeline Robotics, a spin-out of the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Institute at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) in Odense, has developed a fully automatic throat-swabbing robot to aid health workers that put themselves at high risk of contracting viral diseases.

"We have successfully demonstrated the world’s first fully automatic throat swab and delivered a 'proof of concept' of the processes in a robotized throat swab," Thiusius Rajeeth Savarimuthu, a professor at the university said in a statement.

A 3D-printed disposable arm holding a swab reaches the designated spot in the throat, and then places the sample in a jar.

“I was one of the first to be swabbed by the robot. It went really well. I’m still sitting here,” says Professor Thiusius Rajeeth Savarimuthu of SDU Robotics.

“I was surprised at how softly the robot managed to land the swab at the spot in the throat where it was supposed to hit, so it was a huge success,” he added.

The coronavirus pandemic, which first appeared in China last December, has spread to 188 countries and regions across the world dealing a severe blow to air travel globally.

The virus has killed over 380,700 people worldwide, with total infections surpassing 6.4 million and some 2.74 million people having recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the US’ Johns Hopkins University.