HandHygieneBots
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: College of Medical, Veterinary, Life Sci
Abstract
The HandHygieneBots Proof of Concept proposal aims to develop social robots as socially engaging and educational technological
agents that can autonomously interact with children in schools to positively change their handwashing behavior. Globally, nearly half
a million children die every year due to gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases, while handwashing with soap has the potential to
prevent up to 50% of these deaths. More recently, due to COVID-19, handwashing has consistently been identified as one of the most
impactful public health interventions to help halt the spread of the virus. This project aims to develop a tool to help boost population
health through optimization and deployment of an autonomous social robot (WallBo) to teach and supervise regular and appropriate
handwashing among children in school contexts. We are at TRL stage 4 with our innovation and have spent the past year developing
the idea, and checking our assumptions through successful human-operated trials. As part of the ERC SOCIAL ROBOTS project, from
which the HandHygieneBots project has grown, we have laid crucial foundational work regarding the ingredients of successful and
sustained human-robot engagement. Through this project, we aim to develop and investigate the feasibility of our innovation as a
commercial proposition. The main objectives of this project are: (1) to develop and refine the mmWave radar autonomous tracking
technology; (2) to conduct feasibility studies in 4 schools across 2 continents and socioeconomic contexts, to maximize the suitability
and impact of this innovation for communities most in need; and (3) to advance commercialization of this research by developing the
WallBo social robot into a product with the potential to benefit European and global society more broadly. Project outcomes will
contribute towards informing the design of future social robotic products, especially those that can support large scale public health
interventions.
agents that can autonomously interact with children in schools to positively change their handwashing behavior. Globally, nearly half
a million children die every year due to gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases, while handwashing with soap has the potential to
prevent up to 50% of these deaths. More recently, due to COVID-19, handwashing has consistently been identified as one of the most
impactful public health interventions to help halt the spread of the virus. This project aims to develop a tool to help boost population
health through optimization and deployment of an autonomous social robot (WallBo) to teach and supervise regular and appropriate
handwashing among children in school contexts. We are at TRL stage 4 with our innovation and have spent the past year developing
the idea, and checking our assumptions through successful human-operated trials. As part of the ERC SOCIAL ROBOTS project, from
which the HandHygieneBots project has grown, we have laid crucial foundational work regarding the ingredients of successful and
sustained human-robot engagement. Through this project, we aim to develop and investigate the feasibility of our innovation as a
commercial proposition. The main objectives of this project are: (1) to develop and refine the mmWave radar autonomous tracking
technology; (2) to conduct feasibility studies in 4 schools across 2 continents and socioeconomic contexts, to maximize the suitability
and impact of this innovation for communities most in need; and (3) to advance commercialization of this research by developing the
WallBo social robot into a product with the potential to benefit European and global society more broadly. Project outcomes will
contribute towards informing the design of future social robotic products, especially those that can support large scale public health
interventions.
