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Innovation & Technology

Correos in Malaga incorporates a drone developed by CATEC and Airvant


December 13th 2021

This aerial system, which has been developed within the framework of the PrevenZAL project funded by the CDTI, will assess air quality and disinfect Covid-19 in a short time and in an automated way.


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In order to face the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sevillian company Airvant and the Center for Advanced Aerospace Technologies, CATEC, have developed a drone to disinfect critical spaces in the logistics sector in a short time and in an automated way.

The system, which has been developed within the framework of the PrevenZAL project, has received funding from the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI) and has been a technological milestone by constituting an effective solution for future outbreaks that may arise.

During the project, a series of studies, tests and acquisition of equipment related to the flights necessary to carry out the disinfection process have been carried out, as well as all the studies related to the evaluation of air quality, focusing, above all, on indoor spaces. The evaluation of air quality in this type of environment was not initially conceived in the project, but the evolution of the pandemic, as well as the interest shown by end users who have closely followed the project, have led to the implementation of this type of tasks.

The vision of the logistics sector has been prioritized in the project, coming to constitute an Advisory Committee made up of port entities and logistics operators that has been in charge of guiding the developments to reach the market. For more than a year, the existing relationships between Airvant,  CATEC and end users receiving this type of technology, such as Correos, have been strengthened.

A technological validation was carried out at the Correos facilities in Malaga, which consisted of evaluating the quality of the air based on measurements with the drone, at different points in the logistics center and at different heights. Subsequently, a simulation of a disinfection process based on UV-C was done, in which a drone with an intelligent navigation system carried out the operation. Thus, the final result is a process through which a measurement of the air quality in the facility is developed using drone onboard sensors , with the aim of guaranteeing controlled air quality and avoiding atmospheres that allow the proliferation of infections. .

Andalusian cutting-edge technology for strategic sectors
Transport and logistics are sectors of strategic importance in today's economy. If anything has become evident during the pandemic, it has been the excellent joint response given by the primary sector, the food industry, transport and distribution, which has made it possible to effectively meet the demands of society at an exceptional time.

Logistics operators, port authorities and other companies in the sector have monitored the progress of the project, in order to incorporate this type of tool into their operations, in which the drone is a quick way to apply solutions to complex spaces with significant heights, where human intervention is risky or costly.

In this way, PrevenZAL has been a key project to increase the interaction between SMEs and research organizations, as well as promoting the creation and consolidation of technology-based companies, which base their growth on intensive R&D&i activity.



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