The past 2 years have completely changed the way we look at public accommodations. In 2019, no one would have thought twice about touching a kiosk that someone had just used. But today, many people look at common surfaces and devices as if they are plague rats. Whether this approach to public spaces is itself healthy or not, it is not going away anytime soon. To help alleviate fears of public or common items, CleanBox has developed a quick and easy way to clean these items.
Technology has the power to change everything. CleanBox is a company that wants to help people keep their devices clean and germ-free so they can safely use them with others. CleanBox uses UV-C light, which is an advanced form of lighting that eliminates all germs on surfaces and in the shadows in just 60 seconds. CleanBox is built around three core beliefs: technology has unlimited potential, we're all connected through our devices, and it's time for shared device sanitation innovation!
Using CleanBox technology, you can kill 99.999% of all contagions on shared or personal electronics within minutes. Simply place the device into the box and the process takes care of itself. The company offers a couple of different models for different purposes, such as the CX series for head-mounted displays (HMD), CleanDefense for face masks, and OmniClean for everything else.
The technology is designed for anyone who is in charge of shared electronics. A great example is the headsets and wristbands for HADO with our partners at AMRoC Fab Lab. Every time someone plays the game, someone has to wipe down the headsets and the wristbands before the next group can play. At events, even with 3 sets, this can be a challenge.
In addition, the normal process means having wipes, which require the user to be perfect. Any missed spot means that a collection of germs survives. Also, it means a never-ending supply of wipes has to be used and then disposed of. Consumables mean higher cost per game and more time required to reset. By using a CleanBox, we could cut that reset time down and guarantee that no spots have been missed - a win for everyone involved.
CleanBox is also perfect for showing off devices at a trade show. Imagine a company demoing an audio-based technology or even a videogame that requires headphones. After each person wears the headphones, they'll need to be cleaned before the next person uses them. This product would allow you to place the headphones in the box for a minute and get a nearly perfect pair of headphones in a minute.
CleanBox kills 99.999% of all contagions on shared devices. "No chemicals. No waste. No hassle." It is the next step in shared device sanitation, and we can try it now. To learn more about the company, the products they offer, or to purchase one for your company, head over to the company's website.
Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.
Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
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So I want to introduce Amy Hedrick, CEO of Cleanbox. So, and let's go ahead and get a camera shot of her. All right, great. So good morning, and welcome to our coverage here. Tell us a little bit about Cleanbox.
Good morning. So Cleanbox is a smart tech hygiene company. We provide UVC smart tech hygiene solutions for companies, B2B, B2G companies that need surface decontamination on shared or frequently used devices.
So basically, then I'm assuming then a restaurant, commercial business space, whatever it may be, would be something where someone is a UV technology or what have you.
It's UV technology UVC, we use it in an LED. So all of our engineering is around maximum efficacy in the shortest amount of time. So we work very, very well on surfaces that can't be exposed to heat, chemicals, or liquids. And so anything that's for technology, specifically in a virtual and augmented reality headset, we started there with some of our main product lines. And those are really for companies that are using it for training purposes, whether that be internal or external. And then we've branched we've taken that same core technology, and we have other use cases from keyboards to cell phones, tablets, and stethoscopes.
Right
Eyewear. Yeah.
So is it mostly then you talked about surfaces. So you know, I've seen devices before, where you stick something in or you have it focused where it actually will clean the device? You're talking about surfaces and as you have wands or how does that work?
So we don't use wands, we have several different form factors on our products. Let me explain though, why we don't use wands.
Okay.
Wands is basically you're taking your hand and you're doing this is going to be subject to distance to surface, the amount of time, the total duration. So what we tried, were all of our products are geared around highest efficacy, removing human error components so that every time you're getting consistent lab-verified results without anybody making a mistake. So yes, we do use UVC. We do it in an LED, which is a more it's a newer use. It's a newer form factor, the last few years a little bit more than before, but the idea of how to use UV, as a decontaminant has been around for a while. But we do it again without ozone, heat, liquids, chemicals, anything along those lines.
So what is see then the application for a surface then? What do you? Is the? I'm just can't of trying vision.
So put it in a box?
Oh, you do put it in a box.
We have five different products.
Sure.
On the market right now. And one of them actually was just announced in the CES News this yesterday with HTC, where we're a partner of HTC. So I'll use that as an example.
Sure.
They use our CX series primarily for their Vive headsets, their Vive virtual reality headsets. And what you do on those that particular product is you put it in a CX one, open the door, it has a place where you can put the product where it's appropriately surface to distance, every place where that you might be able to put it in that box.
Right.
Close the door, push the button, everything is a 60-second cycle. So one minute, and then you reach 99.999% contamination against a range of contagions. So that's one of our products.
So let's talk about the range of contagion sense, what is, you know, we all know the phones are-
Sure.
-The most dirty thing we're probably carrying around. Is it? Is it germs? Is it COVID? What are you able to kill in that environment?
Well, we existed as a company and we had products on the market before COVID. So we tested for what we did a test against COVID. We tested it against SARS-CoV-2 and a BSL-3. We're one of the first companies in the US, actually to be able to do that. First commercial companies should clarify. About we've tested, we test against VRSA, against C. diff. You know, really a range of contagions for shared, primarily shared devices. Your right phones are-
Yeah.
-terrible sources
Right
-of contagions. But usually, you're using only your own phone.
Oh that's right.
Unless you're checking it in because you're a doctor and you're going into surgery or, And those are kind of very common applications that we that our clients have for some of our products.
I see.
But yeah, I mean, really anything that you wear in proximity to your face, head, you're frequently touched. You know, so we have different devices that clean different things.
So you definitely market this towards the folks' words shared devices.
Frequently used, touched, or shared is really.
Frequently used, shared, or touched.
I mean, you can we have one of our products called the OmniClean, literally you can, you know, has a circular well, anything you put in there, if it's your Apple Watch, your eyeglasses, your headphones, you know your toothbrush. We've actually tested in labs on toothbrushes and thinking of all the different types of things, battery pack, lab mics, anything that would be exposed to anything and might be used again. And so that tends to be more expensive products. One of our other products we use to decontaminate masks, and that can be anything from like a K95, or N95, like I'm wearing right now, that was actually tested against multiple layers that were inoculated with the COVID-19 virus, just to verify, you know, so so that is something that our product does very, very well, which is why we're completely B2B and B2G right now. So that is our-
Wow, right.
-client base.
So as a consumer, you're not going to be able to go up this, but if you're looking as a business to pick something up. So can you give me?
We sell to consumers generally, but we're not a consumer price.
Right. What is the typical price range then of the product?
Our least expensive price is about $2,000. And we go, it just depends on the form factor, which product it is, what they're cleaning, and so on.
Awesome.
But one, The CX one is a very space-conscious product. Again, we work with businesses where real estate is usually, you know, expensive and a premium and you have to do multiple things with it in a short amount of space.
Yeah. Sure.
So we think about that in terms of other things that our products can do while they're being cleaned, charged from charging to storage and so on. So-
Yeah. So where can we find more information about it. Is it cleanbox.com?
It's cleanboxtech.com
Cleanboxtech.com is where we want to go, Amy, I want to thank you for coming and talking about your product.
My pleasure.
So for those of you that are in the watching audience, if this is something that you feel might be good for your business again, go to cleanboxtech.com. Check it out. Reach out to her and her team, and I'm sure they're gonna be happy to talk to you.
My pleasure.
Thank you so much for coming on.
Thanks for having me.
Yeah.
Nice to talk to you.
Absolutely.
Bye-bye.
TPN CES 2022 coverage is executive produced by Michele Mendez. Technical Directors are Kurt Corless and Adam Barker. Associate producers are Nancy Ertz and Maurice McCoy. Interviews are edited by Jo Mini. Hosts are Marlo Anderson, Todd Cochrane, Scott Ertz, Christopher Jordan, Daniele Mendez, and Allante Sparks. Las Vegas studio provided by HC Productions. Remote studio provided by PLUGHITZ Productions. This has been Tech Podcasts Network Production, copyright 2022.
