Kerala, India is using an innovative way to help combat the coronavirus. The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) has turned to two robots to help distribute information and supplies.

They come from Kochi based startup Asimov Robotics and have been successful in getting the local public’s attention. One robot distributes things like hand sanitizer, napkins, and masks while the other displays important information from the World Health Organization on its screen.

Kerala Startup Mission has started #Coronavirus awareness campaign using 2 robots in Kochi. Jayakrishnan T,founder&CEO of Asimov Robotics,"Robots are crowd pullers, so we can spread our message effectively. They are distributing hand sanitizers,masks&sharing info about pandemic" pic.twitter.com/XA8uIOEqXo — ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2020

Kerala Robots Raise Awareness and Distribute Supplies

With some of the general public showing apathy towards preventive measures, local officials felt the robots would be a unique way to create awareness. Using the robots also helps to limit human to human contact and frees up aid workers for other tasks. Officials are considering using robots in other public places such as airports and train stations.

“Being robots, they grab eyeballs fast. We are planning to ply more robots in places like airports where risks are higher,” said T Jayakrishnan, founder and CEO of Kochi-based Asimov Robotics.

This isn’t the first time Kerala has used robots in public service. Last year, the Kerala Police became India’s first law enforcement agency to use a robot to welcome the public in police offices. They have also used a robot named Bandicoot to clean public sewages, which used to be sanitized manually.

Check out our articles on robots writing their own songs and facial recognition in public housing.