In recent weeks China has managed to ‘flatten the curve’ of its coronavirus outbreaks, reporting only a handful of new cases each day, and 5G technology is playing an integral part in the country’s battle against Covid-19.
One use of 5G tech which has drawn particular attention is patrol robots, which are being used in busy areas such as airports to monitor citizens, and ensure that people are wearing face masks in public spaces.
The robots were developed by Guangzhou Gosuncn Robot Company, with additional support from IoT hardware and software specialist Advantech. And the robots have already been deployed in airports and shopping malls in cities such as Guangzhou, Shanghai, Xi’an and Guiyang.
Remote operation can save lives
Where a manual temperature check must be conducted by a human operative, putting them and their immediate family and friends at risk, these robots operate remotely, and are equipped with infrared thermometers which are capable of scanning the temperature of 10 people simultaneously, within a radius of 5 meters.
If a robot detects someone with a high temperature, the robot will alert a detection team, and a real-time response can be initiated. And although the robots are autonomous self-driving machines, they can also be controlled remotely if required.
The robots are powered by an IoT edge computer from Advantech (the MIC-770), and are also equipped with an Intel Core i processor and GPU iModule (MIC-75G20) aimed at IoT applications. And the robots also come with a ruggedized chassis and cast aluminium heatsink, to protect it against vibration and shock.
