Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), a Kochi based laboratory of DRDO, has developed a virus obliterating conveyor for the disinfection of baggage at airports, railway stations etc. Dr G. Satheesh Reddy, Secretary DD R&D & Chairman DRDO will release the product on 26th June 2020 online.

The machine is an automated stand-alone system which uses UV bath technology to disinfect any item within seconds. The disinfector functions with the help of a roller based conveyor carriage that carries any item through the machine chamber. The chamber has accurately calibrated UVC sources placed inside which do the actual disinfection work. The machine looks like an X-ray scanner found at airports and metro stations.

The sensing mechanism in the chamber automatically detects the entry of any item into it and powers the UV illumination system. The UV illumination system has been designed in a way that it irradiates the body of any item from all directions and disinfects the entire surface as per the required intensity and exposure. The machine has an inbuilt mechanism which prevents the harmful UV rays from leaking out of the machine. The UV rays kill any and all viruses they come in contact with, leaving the baggage coronavirus free.

Similar to X-ray machines the baggage disinfector can be installed at airports, railway stations, metro stations, bus stations and institutional gates.

NPOL has developed the system in partnership with Apollo Microsystems Limited, Hyderabad.