ATLANTA — The future is here! Mercedes-Benz Stadium is now using drones to sanitize inside its facility and it’s the first professional sports venue to do so.
Stadium officials say they have teamed up with Lucid Drone Technologies, a company based out of Charlotte, to use the disinfecting drones to sanitize key areas in a more efficient and effective manner.
“The process of welcoming fans back involves actively listening and responding to their concerns and we understand that proper cleaning and sanitization protocols are top of mind in the current environment.” says Dietmar Exler, COO, AMB Sports and Entertainment. “We have worked tirelessly to provide a safe environment for not only our associates, players and staff, but especially our fans.”
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The drones “utilize electrostatic spraying nozzles for even distribution of medical-grade disinfecting chemicals including an inhibitor that prevents harmful bacteria and virus to adhere to surfaces without leaving a residue. In addition, their unique, wrap-around effect helps distribute the disinfectant to hard-to-reach areas.”
Mercedes-Benz Stadium say the drones allow for a 95 percent reduction in time spent cleaning the seating bowl and the ability to redeploy associates in other areas of the stadium and 14 times more efficiency than regular backpack foggers.
“This stadium is incredibly large and as we begin to slowly welcome fans back, these drones allow us to maximize the time between games and private events to thoroughly sanitize,” said Jackie Poulakos, Manager, building operations. “We are always challenged by leadership to continually innovate and this new technology is the ideal solution to effectively disinfect and sanitize our stadium in an efficient manner.”
A limited number of fans will be allowed to return to the stadium for games starting this month.
The stadium says the drones are in addition to their cleaning and sanitization program, which includes daily cleaning using GenEon’s ionized solution that kills harmful germs and bacteria, while being safe for humans. Additionally, the stadium added a Sanitation Team for hourly disinfecting, 600 hand sanitizer dispensers and monthly anti-viral coating to help reduce the risk of exposure and spread of the virus.
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