KOCHI: Lending a hand to Kerala’s battle against Covid-19, actor Mohanlal’s ViswaSanthi Foundation donated an autonomous robot for the isolation ward at Ernakulam medical college at Kalamasserry on Saturday. KARMI-Bot, developed by ASIMOV robotics, a company working under maker village of Kerala Start-up Mission will work as a caregiver at the hospital.
The robot was handed over to District Collector S Suhas by the ViswaSanthi Foundation directors Major Ravi and Vinu Krishnan along with Jayakrishnan, CEO of ASIMOV robotics in a function held at Start-Up Village. MCH Principal Dr Thomas Mathew, RMO Dr Ganesh Mohan and Dr Manoj Antony were also present on the occasion.
As part of its daily duties, the robot will dispense food, medicine, collect the trash left away by patients, perform disinfection and enable video call between the doctors and patients. The project aims to limit the interaction between Covid patients and health workers as well as to address the shortage of PPE kits by minimising its use. Carrying a payload up to 25kgs, the robot is capable of achieving a maximum speed of 1m/sec. UV-based disinfection and targeted detergent spray are the additional capabilities of KARMI-Bot.