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Clean travel technologies will have a big role to play in kickstarting aviation. Just like how post-9/11, travellers would not have boarded a flight unless their safety was guaranteed, post-COVID they would not travel unless cleanliness was guaranteed. This was the key premise of our report, ‘The Rise of Sanitised Travel‘. It identified over 70 different passenger touchpoints that will change as a result of the need to reassure both passengers as well as industry regulators, that air travel won’t be a spreader of the pandemic.
Following the report, we announced our accelerator the SimpliFlying Launchpad, which aims to curate ready-to-deploy technologies that can help kickstart travel. After receiving over 40 applications in just two weeks, we can now announce the finalists for the sanitisation cohort that will be presenting to run a pilot for visionary airlines and airports globally on June 18. Demo Day is open to all airlines and airports. Sign up here to be a Corporate Partner. Or get in touch with us directly to arrange 1-1 meetings with any of the startups listed below.
VShield: Clean travel begins with the individual
The Switzerland-based technology, VShield, is a multipurpose virus protection product (clipper, patch or pouch) that sterilizes 99.9% of viruses (including SARS-COV-2), bacteria and fungus in a radius of 0.5m (1 m range) for 30 days after opening. The company believes that individuals that work in high-exposure areas need to be protected first. So this would be very useful for protecting airline crew, airport check-in staff and even frequent travellers. Airlines are considering just installing these clips on the seat back to provide protection – and they need not leave the middle seat empty!
Mero: Waze for cleaners
Imagine guiding airport cleaners to only the toilets that need immediate cleaning or sanitisers that are running dry. That’s what Canadian startup, Mero, does.
Mero is providing sensing on critical supplies like soaps, sanitizers, and paper products for a safe return to public spaces. The product utilizes flexible sensing on any commercial dispenser and dispatches cleaning staff to areas before dispensers run empty, for an up to 30% more efficient operation. Mero’s devices are already deployed at hospitals, offices, stadiums and major airports.
Cleanbox: Clean trays = clean travel!
Did you know that airport trays/bins have some of the most germs during our whole travel journey? Ensuring clean travel will require cleaning trays regularly. Cleanbox does it in 45 seconds!
Zensors: enforce social distancing without new hardware
A single-camera combined with AI & machine learning can become a one-stop sensing solution, able to replace dozens of IoT type sensors. From counting people, monitoring social distancing and mask-wearing, to more complex questions, such as facility cleanliness and equipment utilization. Zensors, a Pittsburgh-based startup, delivers actionable data using existing camera investment for airports. That’s how you implement social distancing!
Evri: self-driving hand-sanitising robots
Silicon Valley-based Evri offers three solutions for COVID using self-driving robots. EVRI Hygiene offers contactless automated fever detection for all airport staff and passengers too. EVRI Prevention is a contactless hand sanitizer that auto-fills when it is about to run dry. EVRI Compliance is a self-driving robot to verify compliance such as social distancing and whether passengers have masks-on. All this data can then be visualised as heatmaps so that airport officials can focus their attention where it’s needed the most.
Kaze Robotics: Autonomous UV disinfecting robots
This Singapore-based technology by PB Robotics, Kaze, disinfects 99.99% of the surfaces at the airport or inside the aircraft during downtime. The robots use UV-C light and are already in use in major malls in Singapore.
PxCom: Don’t touch the screen!
French wireless in-flight entertainment specialist, PxCom has added a solution for clean travel, post-COVID-19. With: full back seat pocket digitization, touchless crew and passenger interactions, PxCom delivers a sanitised inflight experience whilst generating ancillary revenues opportunities based on the existing in-flight entertainment platforms.
These are some of the most promising technologies that will ensure that travel remains cleaner than it has ever been. One thing is for sure, air travel will not be the same as we knew it before the coronavirus hit us. So be prepared to see some of these new technologies and processes the next time you travel.
Meanwhile, to see these technologies in action, Sign up here to be a Corporate Partner if you are an airline or an airport. Or get in touch with us directly to arrange 1-1 meetings with any of the startups listed above.