An Israeli medical worker wearing protective gear collects samples for coronavirus testing in the central Israeli city of Tel Aviv on April 6, 2020. (Photo: Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, April 7 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli innovation company has developed a robot to perform automated coronavirus testing, the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) reported Tuesday.

The company, Impact Labs, has partnered with the clinical microbiology laboratory at Ichilov hospital, in the coastal city of Tel Aviv, to deal with the increasing number of coronavirus testing.

This project was also joined by Israeli collaborative robotics company iCobots, and the U.S.-Israeli company Bright Machines, which develops smart and automatic machines.

The robot, whose development and manufacture are supported by the IIA, carries out the tests using advanced arms, and is expected to start operating at Ichilov Hospital within days.

According to the IIA, "besides increasing the pace of testing, the robot will help protect medical staffs' health and reduce the number of errors. It will also enable the release of essential medical workforce currently working around the clock in the testing labs."