Airliner cabins are packed full of people from all over the world, who spend hours doing things like coughing, sneezing and touching surfaces with their hands. It was with this in mind that Arthur Kreitenberg and his son Mo created the GermFalcon. It's a robot that kills germs on planes, using ultraviolet light. It's intended for use between flights, while the aircraft is parked and empty.
The wheeled robot has the same footprint as an onboard drinks cart, so it's able to autonomously move down the aisle unimpeded – with the help of a proximity sensor. As it does so, it spreads its two "wings" over the seats on either side. Those wings contain UV-C lamps, which are the same type used for disinfection in places like hospitals and water treatment plants. It also has UV-C lamps on its top and sides.
According to the Kreitenbergs, in tests conducted on airliner seating areas, exposure to those lights killed 99.99 percent of microbes within 10 minutes. Along with seats, the GermFlacon can also be set to modes that allow it to clean lavatories and the galley area. It's additionally equipped with fans and HEPA filters, to draw in and trap airborne particles.
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