Science: Health: Hygiene
UV Roombas On Patrol   (+2)  [vote for, against]
roving virus exterminator

Ultraviolet light destroys viruses, so let loose the UV Roombas in places that are generally less busy at night.

With their powerful UV light beams, these smart robots rove around mapping every space, nook and cranny. Once mapped in detail, they ensure that every square inch receives a dose of the virus exterminating ultra violet light they deliver.

Being low profile, they can go under beds, shining their lights upwards to sterilise mattresses and at floor level under fridges, cupboards, and otherwise hard to reach ceilings etc

Any people in their vicinity will naturally have to wear eye protecting glasses, but that's a minor inconvenience compared to the virus free resulting spaces that are created in the wake of the wonderful UV Roomba patrol.
-- xenzag, Mar 28 2020

SNAP https://en.wikipedi...ear_Auxiliary_Power
Modular, portable power source. Quite safe (for a given value of "safe") [8th of 7, Mar 28 2020]

A block of radioactive cobalt placed on a stand in the centre of the space would be more efficient, as the radiation is hghly penetrating.

Sadly, it has little or no effect on cockroaches....
-- 8th of 7, Mar 28 2020


//Baked// Really? - bump and go Roombas with UV sterilising beams? I suppose it could be baked, but let's see where?
-- xenzag, Mar 28 2020


// batteries //

RTG's, unshielded. Et violà ! Power for the UV emitters; lots of nice ionizing radiation to kill bugs in other ways.

Or use a SNAP ...

<link>
-- 8th of 7, Mar 28 2020


//large UV emitters and batteries//

This isn't as big a problem as you might think. UV lamps are just fluorescent tubes with no phosphor coatings, you can get a good rate of sterilization with 10W or so. Even better, UVC ~275nm LEDs are now coming on stream. So even in the worst case scenario, you'd get 11hrs on a 10Ahr 3S lipo.
-- bs0u0155, Mar 28 2020


Could this become "UAV Roombas on patrol" ?
-- 8th of 7, Mar 28 2020



random, halfbakery