Pittsburgh International Airport is looking to the region’s vibrant tech community to help incorporate a new disinfecting strategy using ultraviolet light – on robots.
This partnership with Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Robotics is the first step of an airport-wide strategy to deploy technology solutions and multi-layered cleaning processes to enhance the health and safety of the traveling public. The technology is designed to kill microbes in high-traffic areas, increasing cleanliness and helping to restore confidence in traveling.
PIT is the only airport in the United States with these specially equipped floor-cleaning machines, and airport officials look to incorporate UV disinfecting technology in additional ways, including the sterilizations of handrails on escalators and moving walkways, elevator buttons and other high-touch areas.
The pandemic’s impact on the aviation industry has been dramatic, with passenger traffic falling more than 90 percent as social distancing and stay-at-home orders remain in effect. As part of the solution, PIT hopes to speed the industry’s rebound through technology solutions.
Developed in conjunction with Pittsburgh firm Carnegie Robotics, Nilfisk’s Liberty SC50 Autonomous Scrubber/Dryer is a commercial-grade, fully autonomous, robotic floor-cleaning machine.
What makes the airport’s system unique is the integration of a UVC fixture that emits intense ultraviolet rays on the floor, sanitizing the surface after the scrubber has cleaned it. Hospitals and laboratories have used ultraviolet light as a disinfectant for years, and now Pittsburgh International Airport and Carnegie Robotics are testing that technology to safely treat public spaces in the U.S. airport sector.
Carnegie Robotics
Carnegie Robotics, LLC (CRL), is an ISO 9001:2008 certified supplier of reliable and advanced robotics sensors and platforms for defense, agriculture, mining, infrastructure, and commercial applications. CRL has grown steadily since its founding in 2010 by fulfilling the increasing demand for reliable and environmentally robust components that provide perception and intelligence for autonomous systems. In addition, CRL partners with major equipment suppliers to deliver disruptive, automated systems to traditional markets. Thoro is a spin-out from Carnegie Robotics developing robots to safely navigate and perform useful work inside and around buildings while among people.
Back to News
