Corona Cannon

An open source UV sterilizer design to kill coronavirus (COVID-19) on N95 masks

The Solution
An easy to build, open source UV sterilizer that anyone can build using off-the-shelf parts. We call it the Corona Cannon.
The Solution
An easy to build, open source UV sterilizer that anyone can build using off-the-shelf parts. We call it the Corona Cannon.
About the Project

The Corona Cannon uses UV-C light inside a small form factor design to kill the coronavirus. (See "How it Works" below.)

UV-C sterilizers are already widely used in hospitals to sterilize rooms and equipment. Unfortunately, due to the rapid rise of coronavirus cases, suppliers haven't been able to keep up with the demands for commercial UV sterilizers. To help solve the problem, a small group of makers in Central Florida got together to design an inexpensive UV sanitizer that anyone could build.

The Corona Cannon can be built in a large number of form factors based on material availability and needs in your area. We are currently working to open source the designs, parts lists and step-by-step plans which will all be shared on this website.

In all cases, the designs strive to:

  • Use materials available at Lowes, Home Depot or Amazon. (UV-C bulbs excluded)
  • Offer an easy build for most makers that can be completed in less than a day.
  • Cost $100 or less per unit for the basic build.
  • Not require any specialized tools.
  • Be simple and intuitive for hospital staff to use.

Special thanks to Fred Maxik, David Metcalf, Michael Schmidt & Carlos Carrasco from Orlando Health, Juan Santos, Lis Sampson and John Sampson for your invaluable advice and assistance on this project.

The Corona Cannon project was created by Gabriel Avram, Michael Miller and Todd Sampson. We are trying to do our small part to help. If you need help with a build, have ideas for improvements or anything else we would love to hear from you. Email Todd at tsampson@cloudspace.com and Michael at michael@cedillas.com. French and Romanian speakers please email Gabriel Avram.

Disclaimer: Everything on this site is provided “as is” without warranty or guarantee of effectiveness. A local hospital has a prototype Corona Cannon for testing, but we are still waiting for results. Be careful, the 254nm UV-C tubes used in this project are extremely dangerous! Use proper eye protection and ensure your skin is not exposed to the UV-C light at all times. Build and use at your own risk.