WESA (08/17/20) Koscinski, Kiley

Aeras Fog in Wexford, Pennsylvania, has developed an electrostatic drone capable of blanketing high-contact surfaces in disinfectant, which could be deployed in stadiums and concert halls as it nears patent approval with the Federal Aviation Administration. The device was originally designed for crop spraying, and is engineered to disperse an electrically charged sanitizing solution at a rate of up to 20 acres an hour. "PPG Paints Arena or PNC Park, we could probably do both of those arenas in a three-hour time span," suggests Aeras co-founder Nick Bruckner. He adds that spraying the cleaning solution through an electrostatic delivery system forces positively charged sanitizer particles to bind to grounded surfaces like seats and railings. The drone also charges particles at about 80,000 volts, which Bruckner says is a higher voltage than other available electrostatic solutions. He notes that Aeras has demonstrated the solution at a number of local professional sporting venues, and he expects most venues will employ a list of approved disinfectants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to use against SARS-CoV-2. "We just hope that we can play a role in getting people back to doing things that they enjoy safely," Bruckner says.

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