A robotic arm for safe and accurate control of biomedical equipment during COVID-19.

Purpose: Hospital facilities and social life, along with the global economy, have been severely challenged by COVID-19 since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic in March 2020. Since then, countless ordinary citizens, as well as healthcare workers, have contracted the virus by just coming into contact with infected surfaces. In order to minimise the risk of getting infected by contact with such surfaces, our study aims to design, prototype, and test a new device able to connect users, such as common citizens, doctors or paramedics, with either common-use interfaces (e.g., lift and snack machine keyboards, traffic light push-buttons) or medical-use interfaces (e.g., any medical equipment keypad).

Method: To this purpose, the device was designed with the help of Unified Modelling Language (UML) schemes, and was informed by a risk analysis, that highlighted some of its essential requirements and specifications. Consequently, the chosen constructive solution of the robotic system, i.e., a robotic-arm structure, was designed and manufactured using computer-aided design and 3D printing.

Result: The final prototype included a properly programmed micro-controller, linked via Bluetooth to a multi-platform mobile phone app, which represents the user interface. The system was then successfully tested on different physical keypads and touch screens. Better performance of the system can be foreseen by introducing improvements in the industrial production phase.

Conclusion: This first prototype paves the way for further research in this area, allowing for better management and preparedness of next pandemic emergencies.