Panasonic Corp. has developed a robot equipped with nozzles to autonomously spray disinfectant in hospitals in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak.

The Hospi-mist was remodeled from the Hospi, which has been deployed in medical institutions to transport drugs and specimens to compensate for staff shortages during holidays and at night, according to the company.

(Supplied phows Panasonic's Hopsi-mist)

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By utilizing map data stored in advance, the robot can choose its route to a destination within a hospital, using sensors to detect and avoid obstacles so it can move around safely.

Panasonic is considering deploying Hospi-mist in hospitals and at public facilities as a labor-saving measure, aiming to eventually commercialize it.

The pandemic has driven demand for solutions in avoiding person-to-person contact, with many companies speeding up efforts to develop such service robots to help health care workers manage routine tasks.