Let intelligent robots complete nucleic acid sampling
Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute is a new R&D institution jointly invested by Shanghai Jiaotong University, Minhang District Government, Lingang Group and SenseTime. Song Haitao, executive director, introduced that after the current round of the epidemic in Shanghai, the research institute quickly set up a special class for digital epidemic prevention to carry out technical research. For nucleic acid sampling, they put forward the concept of “cars moving and moving” to reduce the risk of cross-infection of the crowd during sampling, and also establish a protective barrier for the medical staff sampling in the car. After the sample is collected, the nucleic acid sampling vehicle directly transports the sample to the laboratory, which can improve the detection efficiency.
Based on this concept, the Shanghai Institute of Artificial Intelligence and enterprises jointly developed the first-generation nucleic acid sampling vehicle. At present, nearly 80 new energy nucleic acid sampling vehicles have been put into use, deployed in 6 districts including Xuhui, Minhang, Hongkou, Pudong, Changning, Huangpu, and shuttled through streets, campuses, parks and other places.
“With the normalization of nucleic acid sampling, we are organizing a special class to develop the second-generation nucleic acid sampling vehicle, hoping to comprehensively improve its intelligence and digitization.” Liu Yanjing, deputy director of the Shanghai Institute of Artificial Intelligence, told reporters. The development of nucleic acid sampling robots is the focus of this project.
Under the guidance of the Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Yan Weixin, chief scientist of the Smart Medical Center of Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute and associate researcher of the School of Mechanical and Power Engineering of Shanghai Jiaotong University, cooperated with the technical team of Jieka Robotics to develop a dual-arm robot in a very short time. and its supporting equipment. “The robotic arm we use is the Jieka MiniCobo collaborative robot, and the electric claw is removed from the robot in the company’s exhibition hall. Most of the other equipment is 3D printed. After the work is fully restored, we will open the mold and do the machining.” Yan Weixin pointed to the robot in the nucleic acid sampling car and said.
“Vision + force control” to ensure accurate and safe
I saw that the two arms of this robot were in a “heart-to-heart” posture, with a pair of big eyes, which looked naive. What is its business capability? The reporter experienced it for himself.
First, the reporter openscell phoneThe nucleic acid code on the smart nucleic acid sampling vehicle can be scanned in a window of the intelligent nucleic acid sampling vehicle. Afterwards, the reporter came to another window to meet the robot “sampler” face to face. “Please open your mouth.” According to the voice prompt, the reporter took off his mask and opened his mouth. The robot’s right arm electric claw grabbed a cotton swab and slowly stretched it to his throat. After touching the posterior pharyngeal wall, the robotic arm began to collect secretions in three laps to the left and three to the right. The rotation movements were standardized and did not cause discomfort.
After sampling, the robot’s right arm slowly retracts; at the same time, the electric claw of the left arm grabs a test tube, stretches it to the screw-cap device installed on the top of the car, unscrews the cap of the test tube, and then keeps it. With the nozzle facing up, it moves down to the right. At this time, the robot puts the cotton swab into the test tube grasped by the left hand with its right hand, and then uses a device to cut off the cotton swab. Then, the left arm extends the test tube to the screw cap device again, tightens the cap, and puts it into the test tube rack.
After these processes, the robot work area will be sprayeddisinfect. The car is also equipped with UV lamps to kill viruses that may be present.
Why can the robot complete throat swab sampling accurately and safely? Yan Weixin explained that the robot is equipped with vision and force control sensors. With the help of vision sensors, it can identify the position of the face and whether the mouth opening action meets the sampling requirements. If it matches, the robotic arm inserts the cotton swab, and then uses the endoscopic vision system to detect the oral environment, identify the tonsils, and guide the cotton swab to collect secretions near the tonsils. The force control sensor can feedback force control data in real time, and control the force of the robotic arm within the safety threshold.
“Visual guidance and force control feedback are the characteristics of collaborative robots. When the collision torque reaches the set upper torque limit, the robot will immediately make adaptive adjustments to fully ensure safe human-robot collaboration.” said Tan Zhili, deputy general manager of Jieka Robot. In addition to the new position of nucleic acid sampling, collaborative robots have been used in many fields such as smart manufacturing, smart restaurants, and limb rehabilitation.
Unmanned nucleic acid sampling vehicle under development
In the near future, intelligent nucleic acid sampling vehicles equipped with sampling robots are expected to be put into use. There is only one driver in the car, and the sampling work is completely handed over to the robot. It only takes about 30 seconds to complete an unmanned nucleic acid sampling. Thanks to the positive pressure equipment installed in the car, there is no risk of infection even if the driver is not wearing protective clothing. The car will also be equipped with nucleic acid detection equipment to achieve “integration of collection and inspection”.
Zhang Xi, chief scientist of the Intelligent Networking Center of the Shanghai Institute of Artificial Intelligence and professor of Shanghai Jiaotong University, revealed that the institute is also developing the third-generation intelligent nucleic acid sampling vehicle, which can be operated through the “sampling + detection” full-process closed-loop unmanned operation and unmanned driving. The core technologies such as traffic participant behavior prediction and high-power resonant wireless charging will enable unmanned nucleic acid detection vehicles to realize unmanned and unmanned power collection in various complex scenarios such as hospitals, parks, communities, and factories in the future. At the same time, it matches vehicle power battery safety warning, rapid detection of intelligent equipment, etc., and promotes the evolution of nucleic acid sampling vehicles towards high efficiency, high safety and unmanned operation.
(The photos and videos in the text are the R&D staff demonstrating the sampling process.)
