LG's new autonomous UV robot can disinfect high-touch, high-traffic areas

The new LG UV robot has a built-in safety lock which can be activated by human motion detection sensors (effective up to 5 meters radius), by pressing an emergency stop button or via the mobile application.

LG on Tuesday announced a new autonomous robot that utilizes ultraviolet C (UV-C) light to disinfect high-touch, high-traffic areas. The UV robot is the newest addition to the company's CLOi family of robots.

When available, the autonomous robot will be able to move easily around tables, chairs and other furniture, generally irradiating a room's touchable surfaces in 15 to 30 minutes, disinfecting multiple areas on a single battery charge. The easy to operate robot can be integrated into established cleaning routines without requiring extensive staff training and remote updates will be sent to mobile phones or tablets.

The new LG UV robot has a built-in safety lock which can be activated by human motion detection sensors (effective up to 5 meters radius), by pressing an emergency stop button or via the mobile application.

Commenting on the development, Roh Kyu-chan, head of the robot business division in LG's Business Solutions Company, said "This autonomous UV robot comes at a time when hygiene is of the highest priority for hotel guests, students and restaurant customers."

"A higher level of hygiene will be expected by customers in the contactless ecosystem which we are now facing. LG is committed to leveraging its diverse expertise in robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous driving to develop creative solutions to tackle tomorrow's challenges," Roh further added.

LG's new autonomous UV robot will be officially unveiled at Digital CES 2021 tech show and the South Korean technology giant is planning to offer it to hospitality, retail, corporate and education customers in the United States in early 2021.