RAPID: Effective mass spray disinfection using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

SARS-CoV-2在被污染的物体或表面（称为污染物）上持续很长时间，这可能会促进病毒的传播。对公共场所的表面进行有效和高效的消毒，将在恢复商业、教育、商业和其他重要活动的计划中发挥重要作用。目前，许多国家都在使用无人机（uav）进行大规模喷雾消毒。虽然这一策略具有潜在的好处，例如最大限度地减少消毒人员的健康风险，并有可能进行大规模和快速部署，但大规模喷雾消毒的有效性，特别是对Covid-19的有效性，尚未得到系统的检验。该RAPID项目的目标是确定有效的Covid-19大规模喷雾消毒策略，并使用无人机实施这些策略。该项目的成果将通过阻断病毒通过污染物的传播，为减轻Covid-19以及其他传染病（如流感）的传播提供有效手段。该方法有可能被采纳为医院、学校和其他易受病毒暴露和与大量人群接触的公共设施的一般和可扩展的卫生处理策略。为了确保研究的广泛影响和可访问性，所有结果都将在开源档案中提供，以及在专门用于该项目的社交媒体上（例如，Facebook, Twitter）。研究人员之间的独特合作为多相流物理、无人机工程和传染病领域的培训和劳动力发展提供了绝佳的机会。污染物是可以被病原体污染的物体或表面。研究指出，在医院、学校和办公室等一系列环境中，污染物是病毒传播的重要媒介。已证明SARS-CoV-2会污染各种多孔和非多孔污染物，并可在许多表面上持续存在数小时至数天的时间。持续时间长表明需要有效的表面消毒来阻断病毒的传播和疾病的传播。无人机大规模喷雾消毒具有快速覆盖大面积和难以到达的区域、最大限度地降低消毒人员健康风险等优点。然而，这种大规模喷洒策略的有效性背后的基础科学尚未得到检验。相反，大多数先前的表面消毒工作是高度经验性的。这个项目将发展一个物理化学的理解背后的实证结果。该项目旨在解决这些空白，并将确定在不同条件下有效消毒的喷雾参数和基本物理特性，并设计感知和决策算法，使配备可编程喷雾器的无人机能够实施确定的喷雾策略。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The SARS-CoV-2 persists on contaminated objects or surfaces, referred to as fomites, for long times, which may promote virus spread. Effective and efficient disinfection of surfaces in public spaces will play an important role in plans to resume business, education, commerce, and other important activities. Mass spray disinfection is currently used in multiple countries by employing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). While this strategy has potential benefits, such as the minimization of health risk to personnel performing the disinfection and the potential for large-scale and quick deployments, the effectiveness of mass spray disinfection, especially for Covid-19, has not been systematically examined. The goal of this RAPID project is to identify effective mass spray disinfection strategies for Covid-19, and employ UAVs to implement those strategies. The results of this project will provide effective means to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, as well as other infectious diseases (e.g., influenza), by intercepting virus transmission via fomites. The approach has the potential to be adopted as a general and scalable strategy for sanitization in hospitals, schools, and other public facilities that are susceptible to virus exposure and contact with a large number of people. To ensure the broader impact and accessibility of the research, all results will be available in open-source archives, as well as on social media dedicated to this project (e.g., Facebook, Twitter). The unique collaboration among the researchers provides an excellent opportunity for training and workforce development at the interface of multiphase flow physics, UAV engineering, and infectious diseases.Fomites are objects or surfaces that can become contaminated with a pathogen. Studies have cited fomites as significant vectors for virus transmission in a range of environments including hospitals, schools, and offices. SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to contaminate a wide range of porous and nonporous fomites, and can persist on many surfaces for extended periods of time from a few hours to days. The long persistence time indicates the need for effective surface disinfections to intercept virus transmission and the spread of the disease. Mass spray disinfection from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has many advantages including the high-tempo coverage of large and difficult-to-reach areas, and the minimization of health risks to personnel performing the disinfection. Nevertheless, the basic science that underlies the effectiveness of such mass spray strategies has not been examined. Instead, most prior work on surface disinfection is highly empirical. This project will develop a physicochemical understanding behind the empirical results. The project aims to address these gaps, and will determine the spray parameters and the underlying physics for effective disinfection under different conditions, and devise perception and decision-making algorithms that allow a UAV equipped with programmable sprayers to implement the spray strategies identified.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.