An airport in Texas has revealed it is deploying a high-tech robot to clean its most commonly used areas during the pandemic.
San Antonio International Airport is the first airport in the world to have purchased a Xenex Lightstrike, which is said to 'destroy' viruses and bacteria.
The robot works by using bursts of intense UV light to destroy germs, and can be used anywhere in the airport including check-in desks, baggage claim, toilets, departure halls and gate areas.
Disinfecting an area can be completed in 10-15 minutes depending on its size, with no need for warm-up or cool-down time.
When the technology was tested in a lab, it was determined to be a promising technology as it "significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2 on hard surfaces", which means it can help reduce the risk of exposure to this coronavirus.
Xenex, the company behind the LightStrike, claims that it's the only robot cleaner of its kind that can manage this. The robot is already being used used within the healthcare industry in the USA.
Dr. Mark Stibich, Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of Xenex, said: "COVID-19 nearly caused the aviation industry to stop in its track. Planning for the disinfection of public spaces – especially commercial airports – is a major priority to reduce the risk of disease transmission.
"Putting an effective infection prevention infrastructure in place is essential, and we are proud to partner with San Antonio International Airport in leading the aviation industry in this effort."
It's not the first time this year that robots have been deployed for enhanced cleaning.
Earlier this year, United Airlines revealed that it was using high-tech robot cleaners to spray its plane cabins with antimicrobial spray.
The robot, dubbed the NovaRover, works by spraying a super fine mist which can coat all surfaces within a 12-foot radius, all in one spray.
