PhotonStrike

What it does

"This autonomous gym disinfection robot combines UV light and smart misting to eliminate 99.9% of pathogens, ensuring safer workouts without manual cleaning."

Your inspiration

"Witnessing gyms' hygiene challenges during COVID-19 - sweaty equipment becoming pathogen hotspots and inefficient manual cleaning - inspired this solution. My design merges hospital-grade UV sterilization with smart misting technology, adapted for autonomous robots to address gyms' unique needs: 24/7 disinfection between workouts, complete coverage of complex surfaces, and chemical-free safety.""

How it works

"This autonomous disinfection robot integrates 254nm UVC lamps and electrostatic spray nozzles into an omnidirectional mobile platform. The system operates in 3 phases: 1) Mapping: LiDAR scans the gym (0.1° angular resolution) to build a 3D disinfection path 2) Sterilization: - UVC arrays emit 120μW/cm² intensity (30s exposure achieves 99.9% kill rate) - Electrostatic spray (50μm droplets) coats equipment with hydrogen peroxide (3% concentration) 3) Verification: Onboard CMOS sensors monitor surface microbe reduction in real-time A failsafe system includes: - PIR motion sensors for human detection (auto-shutdown within 5m) - Encrypted cloud logging of disinfection records - Self-charging via docking station (4hr runtime per charge)"

Design process

"Phase 1: Problem Validation Conducted 3-month gym hygiene audits (swab tests showed 68% equipment had >1000 CFU/cm²), proving manual cleaning inadequacy. Phase 2: Technical Prototyping - V1: Static UV+spray unit (limited coverage) → Added omnidirectional wheels (+75% area coverage) - V2: Basic path planning → Upgraded to SLAM algorithm (99.2% space recognition accuracy) - V3: Separate sterilization → Developed synchronized dual-mode (UVC activates during spray intervals) Phase 3: Safety Refinement - Initial motion detection had 2s delay → Implemented millimeter-wave radar (0.3s response) - Early spray drift (-40% efficiency) → Adopted electrostatic nozzles (+90% surface adhesion)”"

How it is different

1. Dual-Sync Technology: Unlike competitors using standalone UV OR spray, our patented UVC-mist synchronization (intermittent 0.5s pulses during spray movement) boosts efficacy by 63% while preventing shadow areas. 2. Context-Aware AI: While market robots follow preset paths, our SLAM+ machine learning adapts to gym layouts (weight areas need 2x spray volume) and equipment density in real-time. 3. Electrostatic Precision: Competing foggers waste 50%+ solution; our 50μm charged particles wrap 360° around dumbbell grooves and treadmill belts with 0.1mm accuracy. 4. Safety Ecosystem: Unique triple-layer protection (mmWave radar + thermal imaging + pressure sensors) exceeds industrial standards, allowing human-coexisting disinfection. 5. Self-Optimizing: The only system that analyzes pathogen reduction data to adjust cycles - e.g. post-7pm sessions trigger 30% longer UV exposure based on bacterial load history."

Future plans

"Phase 1 (2025): Commercialize gym model with IoT integration, enabling facility managers to monitor disinfection via smartphone (patent pending). Phase 2 (2026): Expand to sports clinics with medical-grade sterilization modes, achieving FDA Class II certification. Phase 3 (2027): Develop swarm robotics for stadiums - 5 coordinated robots covering 10,000㎡ in <1 hour. Ultimate Goal: Create an AI health ecosystem where disinfection data predicts infection risks, integrating with HVAC systems for proactive air purification."

Awards

"Bronze Award at Milan Design Week Competition - Shandong Provincial Section (China)""Provincial Silver Award, Blue Bridge Cup Visual Design Competition