The use of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) technology as a means of disinfecting hospitals and other frontline settings has increased significantly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the science of UVGI is well established, it can be difficult to determine in practice if sufficient levels of UVC has been irradiated to kill the target microbes in a room. This research presents the development of a low-cost wireless UVC sensor that can be used to systematically track the UV irradiation dose on target surfaces during a UV disinfection procedure. We present key elements of the design of this device, which included a custom PCB, enclosure, operating software, and graphical user interface. The applicability of the system was assessed through an experiment where the devices were placed at 12 locations in a CT scan treatment room that was subject to a UVGI disinfection procedure using an autonomous UV robot. Over the course of three cleaning sessions, each lasting approximately 10 minutes, it was found that each site location received an average UVC dose of 13mJ/cm2, which is more than published D90 values for SARS-Cov-2, influenza, and a number of known pathogens that are commonly found in hospital settings. This study provides early validation of the potential effectiveness of low-power wireless UV level monitoring technology, which may form part of future distributed room sensing networks or as part of smart wearable devices carried by relevant hospital staff.

Socially assistive robots (SARs) have the potential to improve working conditions of care workers, empower vulnerable people to retain independence, and even provide social companionship. Through a series of focus groups, this study explores how older adults and professional care workers in a Continued Care Retirement Community (CCRC) perceived a bespoke SAR platform known as Stevie. Using a mixed-method approach, it emerged that both care staff and residents developed a strong fondness for the robot, perceived it to be useful, and could envision a range of useful applications.

Developing advanced robots can be a resource-intensive activity that creates many challenges for research teams. There is a need to formulate new techniques for systematically designing complex robot systems, especially in cases where high adaptability is needed and design metrics cannot be explicitly specified in advance. This research explores how the Goals/Questions/Metrics (GQM) method, a well-established technique for process measurement, can be modified for use as a design tool in robotics. To illustrate how a design-orientated GQM method may be used in practice, a sample use-case is given detailing how the approach was applied to the task of developing a bespoke robotic gripper for a service robot. The study provides an early indication that the adoption of GQM principles by designers can have significant benefits in robotics applications. However, further investigation is needed to better understand the magnitude and scope of any improvements.