A Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide Robot disinfects a train compartment during a demonstration to the media arranged by the MTR Corporation in Hong Kong, March 11, 2020. (CALVIN NG/CHINA DAILY)
HONG KONG - Hong Kong’s railway services provider has deployed 20 robots it co-developed with a local technology company to disinfect railway stations and train carriages to more effectively protect passengers and staff members from the novel coronavirus.
The “Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide Robot”, jointly developed by the MTR Corporation and local biotechnology company Avalon, was designed for deep cleaning, the rail operator said
The MTR Corporation said on Wednesday that the “Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide Robot” it jointly developed with local biotechnology company Avalon was designed for deep cleaning. It can operate automatically or on remote control by MTR workers.
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If there is a special situation, such as a passenger vomiting on a train, MTR staff will deploy the robot to perform deep cleaning with special disinfectants in addition to regular cleaning with diluted bleach water, said the company.
One robot was dispatched to sterilize the staff-only area at Mong Kok East station where a staff member was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Feb 25.
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Starting from Jan 25, the company requires its cleaners to disinfect all escalators, lifts and ticket issuing machines in stations by using 1:99 diluted household bleach (mixing 10 ml of bleach with 1 litre of water) once every two hours.
MTR and Avalon are also testing the use of air filters made with nano technology to further improve the air quality in the stations.
