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ICA Group

Hero21 - Disinfection robot for healthcare environments

The ICA Group, a technology company based in Dortmund and a long-standing customer of WILDDESIGN, approached us at the beginning of the Corona pandemic with a product idea that would not normally be found in ICA's standard portfolio.

With the outbreak of the Corona pandemic in early 2020, the medical industry was faced with a whole new set of challenges. In particular, hygiene in hospitals and other medical facilities was a top priority. In addition to conventional disinfection processes, an innovative method was needed.

A breakthrough disinfection technology

The solution is HERO21, the first UVC disinfection robot. HERO, an abbreviation for the "Health Robot" of the 21st century. Within minutes, it disinfects patient rooms, treatment rooms, corridors and operating rooms. Using ultraviolet light, it reliably destroys germs and viruses, including the COVID virus. The HERO combines state-of-the-art UV technology and a market-proven robotic base with contemporary design, speed and ease of operation. The autonomous robot allows contaminated rooms to be cleaned without staff having to enter them themselves. With the help of an app, it can be controlled via a tablet. Innovation for more safety and protection in everyday hospital life, compliant with standards and scientifically based.

Let there be light...

No chemistry, just turn on the light. The ultraviolet light column disinfects coronaviruses and even MRSA viruses to at least 99.99%. Unlike conventional disinfectants, with the autonomous robot, there is no risk of incorrect application, which in some cases can even promote germ formation or resistance. Unlike comparable stand-alone devices, the HERO21 avoids obstacles in the room and reaches the entire room with its 360-degree coverage.

Hero21 - Detail viewv disinfection robot

On your mark, get set! In the design sprint to the product

At the beginning of the Covid crisis, a design draft was created together with WILDDESIGN in record time, for which we needed only one month from the initial idea to the finished design. Based on the preliminary work in the field of UVC technology, WILDDESIGN mainly took over the design of the hoods and the communication units. We completed the design process in just three weeks. Decisive for this was, among other things, very decisive and competent project management and also the long-standing customer relationship brought dynamics and speed into the process. The agility of the teams significantly accelerated the conception of the design.

It's nice that the quality of the work was also recognized by the international jury at the Red Dot Design Award 2022 and that the HERO21 was awarded the Red Dot 2022.

However, the company is not stopping at the rapid response to COVID-19 in the field of hygiene. ICA intends to push the development further and already has other application possibilities in view, for example, mobile units for use in ambulances and entrance areas in semi-public areas with heavily changing passenger traffic. These are exciting new scenarios and we are very much looking forward to continuing to work together on the further development of the hero, the HERO21.