A homemade robot designed by Indonesian villagers and scientists for fun has found a new use during the pandemic — bringing food, and hopefully a smile, to self-isolating residents who have contracted Covid-19.

An eclectic assembly of household items like pots, pans and an old television monitor, it is now named the 'Delta robot' in a nod to the highly contagious variant of the coronavirus that has ripped through Indonesia.

"With this new Delta variant and the surging number of Covid-19 cases, I decided to turn the robot into one used for public services such as to spray disinfectant, deliver food and meet the needs of residents who are self-isolating," Aseyanto, 53, a neighbourhood leader who heads the project, said.

The robot's head is made from a rice cooker, and it is operated by remote control with a 12-hour battery life. It is one of several robots made in the village of Tembok Gede, which has won a reputation for its creative use of technology.

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