Covid-19: Karnataka launches AI-driven movable hospitals

Bengaluru, Aug 21: Karnataka on Thursday launched an Artificial Intelligence-(AI) driven movable hospital, designed in the form of pods to contain the spread of infectious coronavirus and prevent cross-contamination at hospitals.

The movable hospital, named Vevra Pods, are developed by Vevra, a Bengaluru-based startup, which has tied up with InnoWave Group, a Portugal-based IoT (Internet of Things) firm, to develop the pods.

The company claimed, the pods can be annexed to hospital buildings, parking lots or other open spaces on the hospital premises.

Karnataka Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar has e-launched the pods and said, "AI has the potential to transform the healthcare sector. More technology start-ups should focus on developing low-cost solutions to make healthcare more accessible and affordable."

"The pods come in five variants: General pod, ICU pod, doctors stay pod, operation theatre pod, and scanning room pod. Each pod can accommodate four to five beds," a Vevra official informed.

Controls quantity and quality of the air being circulated in and out of the room in the pods with a minimum of 12 air changes per hour through HEPA filters, UVC lights, and a high-end exhaust system.

Also, the pods are integrated with a device to monitor oxygen supply pressure.

Explaining the thought behind the project, a company statement read, "The pods project was primarily born as an answer for major medical crises of any form, where the lack of appropriate facilities/infrastructure to receive highly infected patients takes a toll in most hospitals across the nation."

The company said the pods are re-usable even after the Covid-19 pandemic, with 15 to 20 years' structural warranty.