China robot swims like a dolphin and can detect Sars-CoV-2, other viruses: paper
- Chinese scientists say their wireless device can ‘swim’ through pipes to monitor and send data to a smartphone in real time
- The researchers said the robot can be modified to identify a range of chemical, viral and other contaminants
According to a paper published by the journal Science Advances, the 5.3 gram (0.18 oz) robot detected and quantified ammonium, chloride and particles of the Sars-CoV-2 virus within simulated pipes during testing.
The researchers said monitoring of confined spaces such as pipes could improve public health, but was often limited to manual sampling at outlets, making it hard to “trace the specific origin of contamination”.
The paper’s lead author, Li Dengfeng from the City University of Hong Kong, said the robot could be adapted to monitor different molecules, including heavy metals, biological particles, and nuclear contaminants.
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While small, mobile robots were already able to perform tasks in narrow spaces that humans could not, most “are extremely lacking in detection capabilities”, Li said.