Hong Kong Airport is using virus-killing robots to disinfect public areas

Hong Kong International Airport has deployed several self-driving robots to clean public areas as part of its measures to protect against the spread of the coronavirus.

While robots have reportedly joined the battle against COVID-19 in a number of hospitals around the world, Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) said Hong Kong’s airport is the first airport in the world to use the sterilization robots, which were developed in Hong Kong.

Robots called “Whiz” and “Intelligent Sterilization Robot (ISR)” have been used at the airport to sanitize and clean public areas like toilets.

The airport has deployed three robots known as Intelligent Sterilization Robots (ISR) for cleaning and disinfection. These are being used “round-the-clock” in public toilets and “key operating areas” in the terminal building.

These tall, self-moving robots are equipped with both a UV light sterilizer and an air sterilizer to kill germs. Each ISR has a head that can spin 360 degrees to spray disinfectant and a body that is lined with bulbs that emit ultra-violet lights.

The airport said these can "sterilize up to 99.99% of bacteria and virus in the air and on object surfaces” in just 10 minutes.