Robots may help take the heat off testing staff

Lu Chuanying, director of the Research Center for International Cyberspace Governance, which is part of the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said that Chinese universities and companies are showcasing remarkable speed in developing the latest technologies to assist the fight against the virus.

He added that their ability to come up with practical solutions to specific problems reflects their technological prowess.

The market volume of China's nucleic acid testing sector is expected to reach 14.6 billion yuan ($2.13 billion) in 2022, up from 13.2 billion yuan last year, according to Shenzhen-based research company Askci Corp.

Eyeing this market, Siasun Robot & Automation Co, one of China's largest robotics companies, and a robotics unit of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp have also developed robots that can stand in for on-site staff to collect oral swab samples. The samples are then sent to a laboratory for analysis.

Currently, the robots from Tsinghua University and Bioteke are being tested in hospitals such as Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital to help relieve the burden on medical staff.

Zhou Zhitu, general manager of Bioteke, said nearly 20 million yuan has been invested in the research and development of the robots.

"The cost of our robots is almost half that of COVID-19 test robots adapted from foreign industrial robotic arms," Zhou said, adding that they could be especially useful in airports, train stations and other locations requiring instant COVID-19 test results, and could facilitate the revival of cross-border travel.