In a pandemic, cleaning takes on a new form. It changes from simply wiping down an area to making sure it is totally sterilised and safe – it’s a big, big job, especially now travel is kicking back off. Enter Ray, a UV robot whose job it is to keep planes clean.
Brought to our attention by our friends over at Business Insider Australia, Ray the robot has been developed by Canadian company Aero HygenX. They claim Ray can reliably and quickly kill 99.999 per cent of pathogens using ultraviolet technology (UVC).
“UVC technology has a long and proven history of safely disinfecting surfaces, air and water in many other industries, including the healthcare, food/beverage and hospitality sectors. It is a fast and sustainable alternative to chemical-based disinfection,” Aero HygenX says.
Aero HygenX is the first company to incorporate UVC disinfection technology into an autonomous robot solution for the transportation industry.
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Ray is connected to HygenXStream, a real-time digital platform which enables the health monitoring of Ray, as well as keeping on top of its metrics.
Ray’s first job is with the United States’ newest airline, Avelo Airlines. Avelo is deploying Ray to disinfect its aircraft fleet to combat COVID-19.
“The Aero HygenX Ray robot is a compact, lightweight and an autonomous device which uses motion-sensing technology to navigate interior spaces – disinfecting surfaces quickly and safely using UVC light. Ray is a sustainable alternative to harmful chemicals and is emissions-free,” the company says of its UV robot Ray.
Avelo uses Ray robots as part of its daily disinfection for its six Boeing next-generation 737 aircraft.
Additionally, Aero HygenX said, Ray is used to disinfect Avelo’s crewmember workspaces at the airline’s West Coast base at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Burbank Airport and its East Coast base at Southern Connecticut’s Tweed-New Haven Airport.
The aircraft and airport disinfection routine occurs every evening following the completion of each day’s flight operations, so Ray is pretty busy.
Reports indicate Ray is pretty happy with its new gig keeping us all safe.