CASIC "mini-tank" epidemic control and prevention robot Photo:Courtesy of the No.3 Institute affiliated with the state-owned aerospace and arms giant China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC)

Beijing's Fengtai district has deployed a special kind of smart caterpillar robot dubbed "mini tank" due to its appearance to carry out disinfection work in the communities located near the Xinfadi wholesale market, where the latest COVID-19 outbreak first emerged in the Chinese capital.

The "mini tank" can move at a speed of more than 5 kilometers per hour, and is capable of disinfecting 10,000 square meters every hour, the droid's developer, the No.3 Institute affiliated with the state-owned aerospace and arms giant China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Monday. 

The injection pipe mounted on the droid can also turn all the way round, and its caterpillar design enables it to overcome uneven terrains such as road bumps, according to the developer.

The droid can be operated manually or take a pre-programmed path, during which it can automatically avoid crashing into barriers by processing data it collects through remote sensing, both to ensure the safety of the robot itself and the objects that need to be disinfected.

The summer heat previously posed a great challenge for disinfection personnel, as they have to wear thick protection outfits and carry heavy tanks. 

According to Blue Sky Rescue, a volunteer organization that has been commissioned to carry out disinfection work in Fengtai district, at least three team members have suffered from heat stroke, and the deployment of the robot has helped them greatly in their work. 

"This cute little thing can also save us from being exposed in those high risk areas, and its efficiency is equivalent to at least five of us human teammates," one of the volunteers told the Global Times.

The team of developers told the Global Times on Monday that two of the droids have been deployed to Fengtai district since June 22, and the cost of building one robot is 66,000 yuan ($9,326). They welcome customers from both home and abroad seeking to make full use of the special robot to cope with the pandemic.