Qatar University’s College of Engineering (QU-CENG) announced that a team from the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department (MIE) designed a robot that was manufactured at CENG workshops. Robot is versatile in combating COVID-19 infection, as it can deliver food and medicine to patients as well as disinfect air and surfaces by multiple means remotely. The robot is equipped with several systems that enable it to do so.

The robot is designed using simple components available in the local market to be manufactured easily, conveniently and at a cost that is much less than the counterparts sold by international companies specialized in the field of robotics.

The robot is equipped with a flexible and modular controller that allows the designer to improve it by adding intelligent autonomous control systems that enable it to direct to predetermine points automatically and without human interference. This robot can help hospitals as well as isolation places to fight infection as well as saving labor. The robot can disinfect air and surfaces using ultraviolet rays (UV-C) or chemical mist spray, in addition to delivering medicines and food. Robot is also equipped with powerful motors that allow move with relatively heavy weights.

MIE Lecturer Dr Samer Gowid said “It is needed actually to produce and develop industrial, medical and service robots locally and at a low cost as this will help improve the educational process in terms of design and application, as well as serving the industry and the community in Qatar, since robots provide fast and accurate services and functions with little cost and risk”.

“Robot that was developed and manufactured at QU is characterized by its versatility and is able to efficiently implement the tasks entrusted to it, and that its design relied on simplicity, modularity and flexibility, which allows it to be used with current specifications or developed by adding modern systems to it in the future”, he added.

MIE Head Prof Elsadig Mahdi said “This is not the first robot of its kind that is designed and manufactured at CENG. For example, the students of the Industrial & Systems Engineering Program were able to develop and manufacture a smart pesticides spraying robot in cooperation with the Agricultural Research Department in the Ministry of Municipality and Environment under the supervision of Dr. Samer Gowid”.

“The robot works with artificial intelligence to automatically and selectively spray organic and inorganic pesticides on vegetables, which reduces labor costs, plant diseases, the cost of spraying, and virulent diseases that affect humans. Qatar University has applied for invention registration as well as for a patent”, he added.