Meet Cira-03, a Robot Invented by an Egyptian to Limit Human Exposure to COVID-19
By: Meral Abu-Jaser /Arab America Contributing Writer
Earlier in the month of January, Egypt had encountered the second coronavirus wave, which shaped another panic among the community. Insight of the second wave of coronavirus, an invention has decreased the limit of human exposure. Today, in the corridors of a private hospital in a city near Cairo, Egypt, an unusual scene unfolds. A robot, rolling on its four wheels, is on its way to treat COVID-19 related patients. This invention would officially become Egypt’s new helper for public health officials. Meet Cira-03, a robot nurse invented by an Egyptian to perform coronavirus tests and limit human exposure to the virus. This is an invention that marks hope for Egypt’s public health officials. With the global pandemic, Cira-03 has been a sign of relief for the Egyptian community. Now let us learn more about this incredible invention, the mastermind behind Cira-03, and the benefits it has for society.
The Invention of Cira-03
Mahmoud El-Komy, a 26-year-old Egyptian mechatronics engineer is the inventor and designer of the robot Cira-03. His creation highlights the performance of a nurse. When Mahmoud invented Ciar-03, he aimed to portray it as human-like as possible. During an interview, he explained, “I tried to make the robot seem more human so that the patient doesn’t fear it. So they don’t feel like a box is walking in on them.” With this aspect in mind, Ciar-03 has a human-like face and robotic arms. Behind the scenes, El-Komy would control Ciar-03 remotely. He then added while conducting another interview that Cira-03 is not the first version as noted by its name. In fact, El-Komy developed three Cira versions where he kept updating the robot’s performance. Moreover, Mahmoud el-Komy indicated that he aims to updated Cira 03 into Cira-04 where he expects mass production afterward.
Cira-03 Aids Public Health Officials
As the aim gets higher to reduce human exposure, Cira-03 is the perfect solution. With artificial intelligence embedded within the system, Cira-03 can become a replacement for nurses. Furthermore, the robot can perform multiple tasks on patients and then test them for COVID-19. As stated during an interview, tasks performed include the “ability to conduct PCR testing for COVID-19, temperature-measuring and other vital functions, Cira-03 is able to perform echocardiograms and X-rays.” Aside from that, Cira-03 can also carry out blood tests. After that, the test results are displayed to the patients on a screen attached to its chest. Another aspect that Ciar-03 can accomplish is facial recognition. With this specific resource, the robot can detect whether the patient is wearing a mask or if they are practicing social distancing.
How Cira-03 Improves Society
The Cira-03 invention aims to limit human exposure to COVID-19. According to Mahmoud el-Komy, “the robot helps reduce direct contact between medical staff and patients by 90 percent.” Thus, Cira-03 can help limit exposure to infection and prevent the transmission of the virus. Moreover, with the ability to read face recognition, Cira-03 can warn people at the hospital to wear a mask when they are not wearing one. As mentioned earlier, Cira-03 can help with maintaining social distancing inside the hospital. That is accomplished by recognizing their faces and then calculating the distance between them. Therefore, this accomplishment is critical and holds high benefits to the Egyptian population.
In summary, the development of Cira-03 has brought a sense of hope and relief among the Egyptian population. Thus far, people have had positive experiences with the robot. Therefore, as claimed by Mahmoud el-Komy, “There has been a positive response from patients. They saw the robot and weren’t afraid.” He went on by adding, “there is more trust in this because the robot is more precise than humans.” As a result, Cira-03 will continue to be used in the private hospital that is located near Cairo.
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