Robotic device to collect swab samples

KOLKATA: The CSIR-CMERI in Durgapur has developed a low-cost robotic device that can be used for collecting swab samples of people having symptoms of coronavirus, besides treating COVID-19 patients.
The ‘Hospital Care Assistive Robotic Device’ will be very helpful for frontline healthcare workers who are treating COVID-19 patients, said professor Harish Hirani, the director of CSIR-CMERI (Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute).
It will help them in delivering services while maintaining social distancing, reducing the chance of them getting infected, he said. The device costs less than Rs 5 lakh and weighs around 80 kg making it easy to use and affordable for healthcare facilities, Hirani said. The device, which has a video call facility, can also be used in providing food to the patients. (PTI)