OhmniLabs Inc. today unveiled OhmniClean, an autonomous mobile robot that uses UV-C light to disinfect facilities. The San Jose, Calif.-based company claimed its robot is ideal for hospitals, schools, hotels, and other environments that require deep cleaning in high-touch, hard-to-reach places. It added that OhmniClean can disinfect a 3,000-sq.-ft. (278.7 sq. m) space in less than 15 minutes.
“We developed OhmniClean to address a critical need in the market for fast, simple, and effective disinfection,” stated Tra Vu, chief operating officer at OhmniLabs. “At a time when sterile cleaning and infection control are top of mind, OhmniClean is helping to restore normalcy by simplifying existing cleaning processes and making disinfection more intelligent through providing access to efficacy and compliance data.”
“In addition, OhmniClean is made in the USA, so we are able to bypass global shipping and supply chain issues currently faced by other manufacturers,” he said.
Robotics experts Jared Go andTingxi Tan and serial entrepreneur Thuc Vu, graduates of Carnegie Mellon University and Stanford University, founded OhmniLabs in 2015. The company said it has deployed more than 3,000 service robots in 48 countries.
OhmniLabs uses proprietary 3D-printing processes and modular accessories to design, engineer, and manufacture custom robots at speed and scale.
Disinfection robot can help protect staffers
Hospital and custodial workers have been harmed by chemicals found in deep-cleaning products for years, noted OhmniLabs. There is a critical need in the healthcare, education, and hospitality markets to ensure a sterile and safe environment for their patrons, students, and staff, it said.
While ultraviolet light has been used as a disinfectant for decades, UV-C has been proven to reduce overall bacterial counts on high-touch surfaces, said OhmniLabs. In addition, research shows that the COVID-19 virus is highly vulnerable to this form of UV light and can be inactivated using OhmniClean's UV-C disinfection system.
The company said that independent testing found that OhmniClean's continuous 254nm UV-C light can rapidly eliminate pathogens like MRSA, VRE, P. aeruginosa, E. coli and SARS-CoV-2 with an efficacy of 99.999%.
Autonomous mobile robots also offer advantages over manually controlled cleaning systems, said OhmiLabs. For instance, OhmniClean can increase efficacy and reduce human error, as well as the risk of injury caused by mixing chemical solutions and handling heavy UV equipment.
The robot can navigate in complex environments, so its UV-C lamps can get closer to surfaces than static devices, delivering stronger UV-C exposure, according to OhmniLabs.
In addition, he short cleaning cycle time makes it possible for one person to manage a small fleet of robots, instead of a human crew, turning over several rooms at a time in a quick and efficient manner.
“The OhmniClean robot is incredibly easy to use,” said Hector Garcia, president of ProClean Janitorial. “My team was able to get it up and running after just 10 minutes of training. The robot's autonomy allows our staff to clean multiple rooms while the robot disinfects other areas of a property. The whole process is quick and efficient.”
OhmniClean features
Weighing just 58 lb. (26.3 kg), OhmniClean is the world's lightest and most user-friendly high-powered UV-C disinfection robot available today, asserted OhmniLabs.
The company also cited the following features that it said are unique in the market:
- Safe and efficient, chemical-free disinfection: Safety measures including motion sensors, remote switches, and an active safety system to eliminate exposure to hazardous UV-C light. UV-C is chemical-free and more cost effective than maintaining HEPA HVAC systems, said OhmniLabs.
- Easy to use and autonomous: By being easy to operate and manage, the robot reduces barriers to entry, OhmniLabs said. Fully autonomous mapping and cleaning are accomplished using OhmniCloud software.
- Built-in data insights, reporting, and auditing: After each session, users can immediately view reports and audit logs to see what spaces were cleaned and when. Disinfection reports are automatically sent to relevant stakeholders such as managers, customers, and/or regulators.
- Easy to transport and service: Swappable batteries and modular parts makes it easy to take apart and transport to different cleaning locations, as well as replace parts, reducing both maintenance and transportation costs.
- Made in the U.S.: Since the robots are manufactured at OhmniLabs' 3D printing facility in San Jose, orders can be fulfilled faster, shipping costs are lower, and delivery is not subject to current supply chain challenges, said the company.
- Flexible pricing: Cost-effective options are available for every user, said OhmniLabs. Standard, premium, and full-service packages are available for purchase or for lease. A subscription to OhmniCloud Solutions allows for fleet management, mapping, reporting, and more.
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