UNDP has donated three pilot smart “anti-epidemic” robots to Kenyan government to help in Covid-19 fight.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe received the donation in Nairobi on friday, January 22.
The three robots manufactured by Chinese robotics company UBtech were procured with Sh240 million funding from the government of Japan.
A report by Daily Nation indicated that the technology has capacity to scan between 10 to 100 people per minute from a distance of up to 3.5 metres and record audio and video data to notify the manning authorities on anomalies.
The robots will also detect individuals without masks, those wearing them improperly and issue alerts to the user and officials for immediate corrective measures. In his remarks, UNDP Kenya Resident Representative Walid Badawi said the robotic solutions will help mitigate the inherent risks of Covid-19 through the temperature screening, mask detection and automatic disinfection.
He added that the body is engaging with private sector technology companies on maintenance of the robots.
The Cabinet Secretary has revealed that one of the robots will be stationed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) which will hasten checking in of visitors at JKIA by increasing the number of travelers that can be served at any given time.
Mr Kagwe also said the support from UNDP Kenya and other development partners will help Kenya to deliver on its universal healthcare target by helping equip healthcare workers and stretched health facilities.
He added that the country is open to innovations that will add value to the health system in fight against the pandemic.
