Thai engineering students built a remote-controlled robot that they claim can kill Covid-19 using ultraviolet light.

Footage shows the robot disinfecting a teacher’s office at the Rajamangala University of Technology in Trang province during one of its test operations.

The robot was controlled via an app installed on a smartphone that receives instructions through WiFi.

Its designers said they are now working on making the robot work faster and have a better appearance so that patients were not intimidated by the machine.

Third year engineering student Nonthawat Inde who was also one of the two robot designers said: ‘We want to make the robot look better for the patients. We are also working in the speed.’

The prototype currently moves slowly but could finish disinfecting a room in 20 minutes with maximum remote control distance of 800metres. It uses UVC, or ultraviolet, light.