Robotic Disinfection Enters the Aviation Industry
In light of COVID-19, many industries saw an increase in R&D – from medical research to software development to support work-from-home. It comes as no surprise then that the industrial cleaning industry also made some strides.
Hydro-Québec has recently connected with aero hygenx inc. to acquire RAY. RAY is a fully autonomous robot capable of providing quality disinfecting using UV-C light. Hydro-Québec intends to use RAY onboard their Dash 8 aircraft. Through UV-C light, RAY is able to disinfect the cabin, lavatories, and crew area in under 5 minutes.
The high-frequency UV-C light can destroy up to 99.9% of pathogens, including the COVID-19 virus. Before this, Hydro-Québec was implementing an intensive chemical clean, which requires a large volume of cleaning products. These take more time to use efficiently and can leave residues behind, which passengers and crew might come into contact with. RAY will speed up the disinfection process and provide a more effective disinfection.
Aero hygenx is a brand new startup who knew the aviation industry could suffer if they couldn’t find better methods. Having an efficient and effective disinfection procedure would be one significant point needed to assure customer safety following the advent of COVID-19. They jumped right into R&D, working to develop a system that would easily produce UV-C that can easily reach through the entire cabin. They officially introduced RAY in August of 2020. Now, Hydro-Québec is set to officially enter the robot into service on their aircrafts.
