“Pittsburgh International Airport has put UVC fixtures on its floor-cleaning robots, making it the first airport in the US to test the use of the ultraviolet rays to scrub the coronavirus from surfaces,” writes The Verge. “If effective, the UV-cleaning robots could be a model for other airports as they plan to reopen and try to persuade people to travel again.
“Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis said the partnership with Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Robotics highlights how the burgeoning robotics sector in Pittsburgh works alongside the community to solve big-picture problems.
“We have a whole innovation culture that is looking for ways to do things better, especially in the pandemic,” Cassotis said. “And one of the things that we recognized immediately is that while we have to manage the crisis day to day we have to keep a line of sight into the future, to help inspire confidence in travel again.”
They were starting those conversations internally when Carnegie Robotics CFO Daniel Beaven called her with his idea to retrofit the airport’s existing floor scrubbers with UV lights.
It’s the same technology New York City used last week in cleaning its subway system.
The partnership between the airport and Carnegie Robotics could serve as a model for other airports and it underscores Pittsburgh’s reputation as a hub of robotics and a great example of collaboration.
Read the full story here.
