Two Houston companies use high tech to help businesses reopen
HOUSTON - Two Houston companies are going high tech to help other businesses reopen during the pandemic. They're doing it with drones, robots, and gadgets.
These companies both pivoted to respond to businesses' needs to sanitize their facilities and equipment from COVID-19 and for employees to see what's happening at their plants while working from home.
Texas Medical Center Supply is using its SaniDrone UAV's to disperse sanitizing spray over stadium bleachers and business equipment to help them reopen.
"Pretty much we have received inquiries and requests from certain stadiums, including some of them in Texas, to provide sanitized solution for the seats and places that are unreachable," said CEO Omri Shafran.
SIGN UP FOR FOX 26 HOUSTON EMAIL ALERTS
"We created OEM for a drone that used to be for agriculture. This is a 40-pound revised drone. It can carry up to about two gallons of disinfection," Shafran said, showing us the drone.
Shafran says Texas Medical Center Supply jumped into action when PPE was in short supply and partnered with a plant in Mexico to manufacture surgical gowns, masks, gloves, and safety kits for businesses.
The company even offers a machine that slips booties on over a shoe.
"This is an automated shoe cover machine," said Shafran.
Emily is the name of their robot that can take customer orders in restaurants.
"It will show you your menu in 3-D. So if you are allergic to vinegar, allergic to gluten, it shows you the dish in 3-D. You can pay with your credit card, just pointing it here," he explained.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SULLIVAN'S SMART SENSE
People can be sprayed with an EPA approved disinfectant in what's called the SaniGate.
"We go in here. It recognizes my face, I sanitize pretty much, I have a fogger here, that pretty much sprays disinfectant on me," he showed us.
Meanwhile, shopping carts can be disinfected in their Trolley Disinfector.
"We have UV light, a disinfection that you can put the trolley on one side, and you can get it on the other side, pretty much germ-free," he said.
FOR THE LATEST NEWS & WEATHER UPDATES DOWNLOAD THE FOX 26 APPS
Another Houston company called Airobotics says its drones are providing some Houston oil and gas companies with a birds' eye view and data from their facilities for staff members who are working from home.
"Being able to fly in that situation, capturing information, and delivering that information toward the relevant personnel that are at home has turned out to be very effective, especially in COVID, because people are not able to come to site," said Airobotics CEO Ran Krauss.