Drones with UV LEDs Can Seek and Destroy Germs (and Vampires)

All this global health crisis stuff has really hit home on so many levels, it's not even funny anymore. That being said, some folks have taken initiative and are answering some very important but over-looked questions.

One of the largest hurdles in our quest for a cleaner life is public transportation. The way things have been going until now, we realize we haven't been doing the best possible job. Our busses, metros, airplanes and public spaces are now all in jeopardy of spreading germs and a number of diseases.

So to combat the spread of germs, a Korean team of designers and students have put together a drone to hunt and destroy them, keeping our public areas clean. But it’s never as simple as we think it is. Or maybe?

Current technology requires sanitation of surfaces to be done by manpower, as we have recently seen worldwide. But this poses multiple problems. Anytime you use people to do something like decontaminating a space, those people doing the work are put at risk. So what then? What have we really stopped?

Then the second issue, is applicability of functions. Pure and simple, most people are lazy. Even when they’re paid to do something, they’ll still look to short-cut and cut corners. It's not their fault, the brain is just very keen on using as little energy as possible to function. So what then? How do we fix this issue too?

We fix it by combining preexisting tech into one neat solution. The Ghost Drone to be more exact.

It’s simple. It’s a drone. And it disinfects spaces and surfaces with UV light. This means that no more people will be getting contaminated and the spread, of anything really, will be slowed and eventually eliminated.

The Ghost works through the use of a large range of cameras and sensors. But its weapon is UV LED light. But not just any wavelength. It uses the strongest wavelength available for ultraviolet light. Surpassing even medical applications. It's basically a mini sun that doesn’t burn as bad. But will surely make your vampire buddies scatter too. Each one of the propeller housings has a set of these LEDs.

It’s pretty hard to see where the front, back, or anything is on this thing. It has a beautiful white color scheme with slight gray accents and see-through black protective coverings for the LEDs, camera, and sensors. Looks like it costs a bunch too. Taking into consideration it’s applications in any field really, it should cost a bit.

Think about it like this. You take a bus or a metro to work? Heck. Do you take a taxi? I'm sure you do. And how many taxi drivers do you know that disinfect their cars after every ride? That's what I was thinking too.

That being said, it's a bit like this. Your daily bus has reached the end of its line. Here, a docking station for the Ghost waits for the passengers to empty from the bus. Even the driver gets out. All clear.

The drone deploys from its station and enters the bus. The doors close, and pulsing blue light starts to emanate from the drone. A few sweeps of the interior and 30 seconds later the doors open. The drone sets itself back onto its station, and the driver gets back in. Two stops later, you get on. This time, you place your hand upon the bars without thinking who’s touched it before you.

This same cycle works true for every type of public transportation we currently are employing, from busses, to trams, subways, planes, and even cars.

However, just because we have an idea, it doesn’t mean we will be able to apply it the real world. Even now, the Ghost hasn’t made it past the renderings stage. So manpower it is, still. We just need to be more careful, that's all.