ControlTec helps Polish hospital
tackle the pandemic with a UVC
mobile robot
Healthcare organisations across the world are looking
for automated solutions for safely disinfecting individual
rooms and public spaces to meet a range of new hygiene
procedures due to the Covid-19 pandemic. One of the
companies that has responded to this need is ControlTec,
a Polish system integrator. Using an OMRON LD mobile
robot, ControlTec was one of the rst companies in the
world to develop a sterilisation robot equipped with
a UVC irradiator.
Hospitals and healthcare institutions have needed to
develop new approaches and use new technologies to
meet the strict hygiene and safety regulations needed to
face the recent pandemic. One solution is to use mobile
robots that are fi tted with ultraviolet (UV) lamps, which are
unsafe for manual use. UVC is a type of UV light that can kill
bacteria, germs and viruses, especially on surfaces and in
areas that can’t be continuously cleaned with disinfectants.
When installed on mobile robots, UV light disinfection can
be achieved automatically, precisely, quickly and effi ciently.
ControlTec devised the concept of the UVC robot to help ght against the virus.
Developing a UVC robot
ControlTec is one of OMRON’s partners based on Poland.
It specialises in automation and electrical solutions, and has
carried out projects for the largest energy and industrial
companies in Poland and beyond. The company has a team
of over 150 technologists, designers, automation specialists,
robotics experts and electricians.
In response to a request from a nearby hospital, ControlTec’s
development team devised the concept of the UVC robot
to help fi ght against the virus. ControlTec realised that it had
the technology that could play an important role in
the struggle to care for infected patients. The project started
as a non-profi t exercise to help the hospital, Wojewódzki
Szpital Specjalistyczny. Since then, the company has rolled
out the solution to the wider Polish market.
The use of UVC technology in a robot was a new business
strategy for ControlTec. The company has been using
OMRON’s LD series of mobile robots since 2018, and realised
that these provided an ideal basis for the new solution.
They are perfect for disinfecting areas because, unlike
traditional automated guided vehicles (AGVs), the
autonomous mobile robots navigate using the natural
features of a facility and don’t need any expensive
modifications to be made to the facility. They use safety
lasers and sonar to detect any obstacles in their path and
to prevent collisions. Multiple mobile robots can operate
within a facility using OMRON’s fleet management software.
The main challenge that ControlTec faced in developing the
UVC robots and introducing them into hospitals was time.
The company wanted to be able to deliver the solution to
hospitals as soon as possible, as they were struggling to
treat many infected patients.
Grzegorz Goral, CEO of ControlTec, says: “The only technical
issue was compliance with EMC standards, but the most
important challenge for us was to convince hospitals that
UVC mobile robots can be operated safely.” The company
achieved compliance with EMC standards fairly quickly
with the help of neighbouring universities.
Challenges and benets
The development of the UVC robots took about two
months. Although it was the first time that ControlTec had
used UVC technology, it had extensive experience of using
mobile robots. Previously, all of its mobile robot solutions
had been developed for industrial use. This was the first
time that it had faced the challenge of developing them
for the healthcare sector.
The key advantages of using a robot are health and safety.
If stationary UV lamps are used, operators and medical staff
need to enter the room or area that is contaminated with
the virus. However, a UVC mobile robot can be operated
autonomously, preventing the risk of infection to the
operators and healthcare professionals. The UVC mobile
robot can also be operated remotely, using a PC or tablet.
Polish hospitals and healthcare institutions have used UVC
lamps for virus sterilisation for a long time, so ControlTec
didn’t need to explain the sterilisation benefits of UVC lamps.
One of the first actions that the company took was to ask
a Polish research institute to test and confirm whether UVC
could kill the Covid-19 virus. It also checked evaluation data
from Philips, the manufacturer of the UVC lamps, and Boston
University in the US. These data showed that the Philips UVC
lamps were able to kill almost 100% of the Covid-19 virus.
A successful operation
The original UVC mobile robot has now been deployed at
the hospital for over four months, and has been running
smoothly without any problems. The hospital operators are
now able to use it confidently without needing support
from ControlTec.
The project started as a non-prot exercise to help the hospital Wojewódzki Szpital Specjalistyczny
Automated applications relieve the burden on employees while improving safety and meeting regulations.
Grzegorz Goral concludes: “We have some expectations
for future firmware improvements and updates, but we
are very happy with the current system. We have received
from companies who provide sterilisation services and
companies in the industrial sector. We are in the middle
of responding to those enquiries as well.”
various requests from hospitals, such as adding cameras
and sensors to check the surroundings of the UVC mobile
robots during sterilisation; and connecting to a database
that automatically reports the operation record of the UVC
mobile robots.
Jaroslaw Drzazga, Industry Solutions Team Leader at
OMRON Electronics Sp. z o.o. in Poland, comments: „The
pandemic poses huge challenges for many companies and
institutions. Many of them have realised that automated
processes, innovative robotics and technologies such as
“UVC mobile robots are solutions that need to be customised
for each medical institution, and we have dealt with those
requests one by one. In addition to medical institutions,
we have received enquiries about UVC mobile robots
About ControlTec Sp. z o.o
ControlTec Sp. z o.o is a specialist in the comprehensive implementation of industrial automation systems. Their team is made up of
designers of electrical installations and automation systems, programmers of industrial controllers, robotics engineers, constructors
of industrial machines, and engineers developing production management databases and systems. For more information, please visit:
www.controltec.pl
UV disinfection can provide them with valuable support in
coping with this challenge. Such applications relieve the
burden on employees while improving safety and meeting
regulations.”
About OMRON Corporation
OMRON Corporation is a global leader in the field of automation based on its core technology of “Sensing & Control + Think”. OMRON‘s
business fields cover a broad spectrum, ranging from industrial automation and electronic components to automotive electronic
components, social infrastructure systems, healthcare, and environmental solutions. Established in 1933, OMRON has over 30,000
employees worldwide, working to provide products and services in 120 countries and regions. In the field of industrial automation,
OMRON supports manufacturing innovation by providing advanced automation technologies and products, as well as through extensive
customer support, in order to help create a better society. For more information, visit OMRON‘s website at: industrial.omron.eu
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