SLIIT Undergrads design robot to assist Karapitiya Teaching Hospital staff to battle COVID-19

Understanding the importance of protecting health workers in their fight against the coronavirus while tending to patients, SLIIT student Harsha de Silva together with friends from the Wayamba and Rajarata Universities developed a novel, remotely operable robot recently. 

The innovation was designed with the aim of helping medical staff minimise any risk of catching the highly infectious COVID-19 virus. The robot has been developed to transport up to 20kg of items necessary for patients and can also communicate with patients via a remote control.

The robot can safely transport food items to patients and helps reduce any close interaction between the patients and health workers, thereby also reducing the risk of the virus spreading. 

Commenting on the novel innovation, Karapitiya Teaching Hospital Director Dr. Shelton Perera said, “Along with the hospital staff, I would like to thank you for your donation of (a) very useful equipment to (the) Teaching Karapitiya Hospital. The developed robot machine, remote, computer tab and camera is greatly appreciated.” 

The students were inspired by innovations created by individuals in foreign counties to help frontline workers in combatting the virus and were spurred on by applying theoretical knowledge gained at SLIIT. To complete this innovation, the students were able to make different items related to the robot in their homes and when it was safe to meet, they assembled the robot.

Having studied computer networks, engineering courses and digital electronics during previous semesters, Harsha was interested in doing fire programmes and Arduino projects. The team gathered knowledge from a wide array of internal and external sources and realised they could confidently assemble their own invention. 

SLIIT Department of Computer Systems Engineering and Faculty of Computing Head Dr. Pradeep Abeygunawardhana said, “We are extremely proud that our student, Harsha together with his friends from other Universities have been successful in creating this novel device to help protect healthcare personnel.”

“At SLIIT, students are always encouraged to think out of the box and find solutions to pressing problems prevalent in their communities. Especially during these unprecedented times, the creation of this robot is timely.”