Pittsburgh International Airport Deploying UV Robots

UV Robots have proven successful in fighting viruses in places like hospitals, hotels, and transit hubs. Countries around the world are also deploying them to airports to help sanitize terminals, staff areas, and passenger cabins. They recently have begun work in many Asian and Middle Eastern cities and now are beginning to pop up in the US.

Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is claiming to be the first airport in the country to use autonomous robots with UV light for cleaning. The robots, called Nilfisk’s Liberty SC50, are commercial-grade, fully autonomous, robotic floor-cleaning machines.

They come from a partnership with Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Robotics. The floor cleaning robots will be deployed around the airport to help in the battle against COVID-19.  Autonomously navigating the airport, the robots first scrub the floor then emit UV rays to fully sanitize the surface.

“Carnegie Robotics is thrilled to work with the Allegheny County Airport Authority to rapidly test and develop this technology, which was designed to combat healthcare associated infections (HAIs) such as C Diff, MRSA and other resistant pathogens in medical facilities,” said Daniel Beaven, CFO, Carnegie Robotics.

Pittsburgh UV Robots Will Test in Terminals

The UV robots are testing in the terminals, and officials expect to deploy them throughout the airport as part of daily cleaning routines. They also hope to incorporate UV cleaning to handrails on escalators, moving walkways, elevator buttons, and other high-touch areas. If the Nilfisk’s Liberty SC50 is successful in Pittsburgh International, we would expect to see similar robots deployed to other airports across the US.

“The Airport Authority is always at the forefront of technologies and, in this case, is using these Carnegie Robotics innovations to protect passengers and staff and enhance the travelers’ experience,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.

featured image credit: Pittsburgh International Airport/ Beth Hollerich

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