Mahmoud El Komy, a 26-year-old Egyptian mechatronics engineer, stands beside Cira 3, a remote-controlled robot that runs tests on suspected coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients, to limit the human exposure to the virus, amid a second wave of infections in Tanta, Egypt, November 18, 2020. (Reuters)
With Egypt facing a second coronavirus wave, an inventor is trialing a remote-control robot which can test for COVID-19, take the temperature of patients, and warn them if they don’t wear masks at a private hospital north of Cairo.
Mahmoud el-Komy, who designed the robot, called Cira-03, says it can help limit exposure to infection and prevent the transmission of the virus.
Cira 3, a remote-controlled robot that runs tests on suspected coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients to limit human exposure to the virus is seen next to a healthcare worker in a corridor of the hospital, amid the second wave of infections in Tanta, Egypt, November 18, 2020. (Reuters)
His creation, which has a human-like face and head and robotic arms, can take blood tests, perform echocardiograms and X-rays, and display the results to patients on a screen attached to its chest.
“I tried to make the robot seem more human, so that the patient doesn’t fear it. So they don’t feel like a box is walking in on them,” he said.
“There has been a positive response from patients. They saw the robot and weren’t afraid. On the contrary, there is more trust in this because the robot is more precise than humans.”
Mahmoud El Komy, a 26-year-old Egyptian mechatronics engineer, stands beside Cira 3, a remote-controlled robot that runs tests on suspected coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients, to limit human exposure to the virus, amid the second wave of infections in Tanta, Egypt, November 18, 2020. (Reuters)
Cira-03 tests a patient for coronavirus by cupping their chin and then extending an arm with a swab into their mouth.
Abu Bakr El-Mihi, head of a private hospital where the robot is being tested, said they were using the robot to take the temperature of anyone suspected of having COVID-19.
Cira 3, a remote-controlled robot that runs tests on suspected coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients to limit human exposure to the virus is seen in a corridor of the hospital, amid the second wave of infections in Tanta, Egypt, November 18, 2020. (Reuters)
