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Periodic Publication on Transformative Technologies at Airports
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Use Case Spotlight: Robotic Cleaning

ACRP Periodic Report on Transformative Technologies at Airports
- July 12, 2022

Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has permanently changed the expected level, means, and methods of cleanliness at airports. While robots were being used to clean airports prior to the pandemic, COVID-19 accelerated this exploration and even changed how the industry views cleaning robots. No longer is robotic cleaning an innovation for the future; it has become a key strategy to keep passengers healthy, reassure passengers of the airport’s efforts to keep them safe, and mitigate virus spread at airports. Additionally, the wider use of cleaning robots introduced in the pandemic has begun to transform airports by making robot activity a normal occurrence in the airport environment.

Background

A 2021 survey of U.S. retailers conducted by RetailWire and Brain Corp found that 72% of the respondents expected customer demand for cleanliness to remain unchanged, even after broad vaccine distribution.[1] Airport cleanliness was of paramount importance for airports to continue operating and mitigating virus spread.

Additionally, health experts have predicted that the need for virus monitoring and management will increase and become a new normal. Another change is that airport operators are making the cleaning process much more visible to their customers; whereas airport operators once performed cleaning tasks at night or during off-peak hours, they are now intentionally cleaning the facility in clear view of passengers. This effort has helped passengers feel more comfortable during their travel journey. All of this underscores the need for airport operators to keep up visible and robust cleaning programs.

One way to enable these improvements is by relying less on humans and more on robots. This article spotlights the transformational impacts that robotic cleaning solutions are having on airports.

Use Case Details

In recent years, airport operators have begun to explore the use of robotic and automated cleaning solutions for the anticipated business benefits. Deploying robots to perform cleaning services frees up staff for other functions, and it can increase the efficiency of cleaning and the level of cleanliness.

Listed below are business drivers for robotic cleaning solutions, specific types of solutions, and transformational impacts that robotic cleaning can have on an airport.

Business Drivers/Benefits

  • Increased and consistent level of cleanliness and thoroughness required
  • Increased efficiency of cleaning process required
  • Increased sense of safety for airport passengers and staff
  • Reduced exposure of airport passengers and staff to harmful germs
  • Increased ability to more quantifiably communicate/report cleaning efforts and cleanliness of the airport

Solutions

  • Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light robots
  • Drones with disinfectant spray
  • Robots with disinfectant spray
  • Floor cleaning/sweeping robots

Transformational Impacts

  • Major revamping of cleaning services/procedures
  • Reduction in custodial staff for cleaning
  • New skills: the need for custodial and maintenance staff training on the use of new equipment/robots
  • New infrastructure: charging stations, storage space for robots, data access points
  • The need to direct and absorb passengers into other areas in order to clean with UV-C light
  • Detailed and real-time cleaning metrics
  • Introduces highly prominent use of robots into the airport environment in a well-received way by staff and passengers

Many airports currently use cleaning robots equipped with disinfectant spray to sanitize an area of the facility, with options for sprays that seep more deeply into crevices than traditional cleaning products and methods. More recently, airports such as the Pittsburgh International Airport have deployed UV-C light robots to stop the spread of COVID-19.[2] UV-C light damages the cells of viruses and helps to limit their spread. However, it can also damage human cells (especially eyes and skin), so all passengers and staff must be cleared out of areas being cleaned. These robots can be set to travel through an area of the airport and blast surfaces and the air with UV-C light. Airport operators are piloting UV-C light robots worldwide.

One interesting note is that introduction of robots into airports could have been a highly charged and political issue, especially in union environments. Instead, the pandemic has made their prominent introduction into airports a “non-event” or even a welcomed one.

Industry Status

The following is a list of recent pilot projects and deployments of public robotic cleaning solutions conducted by airports and airlines.

Airports

  • Hong Kong International employed a cleaning robot equipped with UV-C light to travel through its facility.[3]
  • Pittsburgh International deployed autonomous robotic floor cleaners with a UV-C light attachment to provide an additional level of surface cleaning.[4]
  • Milan Malpensa International Airport in Italy partnered with RobotLAB/Connor UVC to deploy UV-C robots that were also equipped with disinfectant spray.[5]
  • Heathrow Airport piloted cleaning robots equipped with UV-C light.[6]
  • San Antonio partnered with Xenex to deploy UV-C light robots.[7]
  • Key West partnered with UVD Robots to conduct a pilot with UV-C light robots for its cleaning department.[8]

Airlines

  • Honeywell is working with airlines at a few U.S. airports to sanitize their aircraft with UV-C light devices/robots.[9]
  • At the end of 2020, United Airlines deployed a robot that sprays the aircraft cabin with an antimicrobial spray.[10]

Non-aviation Uses

Outside of aviation, many industries and organizations—such as schools, hotels, hospitals, stadiums, and shopping centers—are benefiting from robotic cleaning deployments.

Schools

The pandemic transformed how schools view the health of students and teachers. With a need to get students back into the classroom, schools began to explore new cleaning/disinfecting methods. One method has been to sanitize classrooms and locker rooms using UV-C light robots.[11] Some schools deploy fans that circulate disinfecting spray throughout the classrooms before students arrive. These solutions have given school administrators new ways to bring students back safely.

Hotels

Some hotels grappling with how to keep customers safe started using UV-C light robots and other disinfectant robots.[12] Robots can travel through hotel rooms before cleaning staff enter to complete their duties. This change helps cleaning staff stay safe and provides a new layer of protection for customers.

Hospitals

Hospitals have long used UV-C light to sanitize operating rooms and other sensitive areas, experiencing the transformation caused by this technology before it reached airports.

Stadiums

Some National Football League (NFL) teams explored cleaning robots to keep the fans safe as teams began to hold games in person. One team has used a drone that sprays a disinfectant on the seats before and after fans were in the area.[13] UV-C light robots have also been used in locker rooms to enhance cleanliness. These new robotic/automated solutions gave NFL teams the ability to bring fans back much sooner than might have been possible without them.

Shopping Malls

One shopping mall in Singapore used UV-C light robots in high-traffic areas to eliminate the spread of COVID-19.[14] This application is similar to airport use in that large crowds travel through aisles and corridors. These cleaning solutions can help transform the existing processes employed by cleaning/maintenance staff at shopping centers.

Conclusion

Passengers and staff have increased expectations regarding the measures that airports and airlines are taking to protect them from viruses and other health risks. Airport operators can capitalize on the rise in robotic cleaning solutions to show passengers that they are actively taking steps to promote a safe environment.

Other recommended reading on this site:

Robotics Technology Focus Article

References

[1] Survey: Retailers Fast-Tracking Robotic Automation Technologies in the Wake of COVID-19, Brain Corp, Accessed March 15, 2021, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/survey-retailers-fast-tracking-robotic-automation-technologies-in-the-wake-of-covid-19-301262459.html.

[2] Robotic Cleaning for Airports: Efficiency, Safety and Peace of Mind, Webinar, Airports Council International, September 28, 2020.

[3] Hong Kong Airport Is Using Virus-Killing Robots to Disinfect Public Areas, Asaf, Seher, April 5, 2020, https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2020/04/05/hong-kong-airport-is-using-virus-killing-robots-to-disinfect-public-areas/.

[4] PIT First U.S. Airport to Deploy Ultraviolet Cleaning—By Robots, Neistein, Matt, May 4, 2020, https://blueskypit.com/2020/05/04/pit-first-u-s-airport-to-deploy-ultraviolet-cleaning-by-robots/.

[5] Italian Airport Deploys Robots to Protect Against Contaminants, RobotLAB, https://www.robotlab.com/blog/italian-airport-deploys-robots-to-protect-against-contaminants.

[6] Robots Deployed to Kill Viruses at Heathrow Airport at Night, Park, Kyunghee, July 14, 2020, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-15/robots-deployed-to-kill-viruses-at-heathrow-airport-at-night.

[7] San Antonio International Is First Airport in the World to Purchase and Deploy Virus and Bacteria Defeating Xenex LightStrike Robot, Hope, Tonya, and Stinson, Rich, September 1, 2020, https://www.sanantonio.gov/gpa/News/ArtMID/24373/ArticleID/19377/San-Antonio-International-is-first-airport-in-the-world-to-purchase-and-deploy-virus-and-bacteria-defeating-Xenex-LightStrike-robot.

[8] Key West Airport Debuts Ultraviolet Disinfection Robot to Fight COVID, Florida Keys News Bureau, December 10, 2020, https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/key-west-airport-debuts-ultraviolet-disinfection-robot-to-fight-covid/2340624/.

[9] Honeywell to Introduce Fast, Affordable Ultraviolet Cleaning System for Airplane Cabins, Kress, Adam, June 9, 2020, https://aerospace.honeywell.com/en/learn/about-us/press-release/2020/06/uv-cleaning-system-for-airplane-cabins.

[10] United Will Use Antimicrobial Spraying Robots on some Aircraft, Kaji, Mina, September 16, 2020, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/united-antimicrobial-spraying-robots-aircraft/story?id=73006798.

[11] School Cleaning Services Get a Boost From Robots, Jones, Analisa, February 10, 2022, https://www.braincorp.com/blog/how-autonomous-robots-help-improve-cleaning-and-safety-at-k-12-schools/.

[12] More Virus-Zapping Robots Are Coming, and They’re Here to Stay, Brown, Dalvin, Washington Post, January 8, 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/08/lg-uv-robots/.

[13] NFL Teams Plan to Clean Stadiums with Drones and Robots, NBC Sports, October 1, 2020, https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/nfl-teams-turn-technology-plan-clean-stadiums-drones-and-robots.

[14] Robot Blasts Coronavirus with UV Light at Mall in Singapore, NY Post by Reuters, May 21, 2020, https://nypost.com/2020/05/21/exterminate-uv-robot-sent-to-singapore-mall-to-zap-coronavirus/.

This series of articles highlights the innovation approaches taken by various airports across the United States. These articles are based on interviews with innovation leaders at each airport.