By Jamie Wiggan
Staff Writer
Company representatives pitched the concept to Sto-Rox school directors during an April meeting, where they told directors they hope to pilot the technology on the new sports field before replicating it in districts throughout Western Pennsylvania.
A Pittsburgh-area company has selected the Sto-Rox School District to test out a patented drone technology for disinfecting stadiums and other large facilities.
Wexford-based Aeras Fog has developed an electrostatic drone technology designed to disinfect an entire stadium within a few hours, with effects lasting up to 30 days.
Company representatives pitched the concept to Sto-Rox school directors during an April meeting, where they told directors they hope to pilot the technology on the new sports field before replicating it in districts throughout Western Pennsylvania.
“Sto-[Rox] is I think the obvious choice to launch that,” said Jim Abel, Aeras business director and a graduate of the neighboring Montour School District.
In addition to disinfecting the stadium every 30 days, Abel said the company will sanitize the main school buildings using the same technology administered by a backpack and hose.
In total Aeras will donate $20,000 of product to the district, Abel said.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for us,” said Sam Weaver, assistant high school principal and acquaintance of Abel. “It’s a win-win situation.”
School directors also indicated support, but have not yet committed to anything in writing.
Later asked on the pilot’s status, President Samantha Levitzki-Wright said she is fully confident it will go ahead, adding that approving contractual paperwork amounts to little more than a legal formality because the pilot won’t cost the district anything.
Using electrostatically-charged disinfectant solutions in conjunction with drone technology, Aeras hopes to have landed on a viable way to make safe stadiums, concert halls and other large venues throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
The electrostatic charge means the solution administered by the drones is attracted to all physical surfaces including the underneath of seats and hard to reach cracks and crevices. At the same time, the charged droplets repel each other so they are dispersed consistently throughout surfaces.
Currently capped at 20% capacity for outdoor and 15% for indoor, sports and other mass gathering events are expected to be one of the final industries to return to full capacity after the coronavirus pandemic is brought under control.
“We’re sports guys, so we wanna see sports come back,” Abel said.
Eric Lloyd, company co-founder, told directors the Sto-Rox pilot will also provide internship opportunities, giving students valuable experience operating sought-after drone technology.
“It’s hard to get kids interested in school, but drones are pretty cool,” Lloyd said.