Tractors, robots, and flying machines have been put into service disinfecting the world's streets during the global coronavirus pandemic. City street sanitation practices differ widely, from daily sanitization to none at all. As a defense against the rise in infectious diseases, more municipalities are carrying out regular street sanitization.
To this end, the world's cities have been invaded by men in white hazmat suits and hoses. Many are accompanied by large tanker trucks carrying disinfectant, blocking traffic, and emitting pollutant emissions into the air. As street sanitizing becomes a more frequent and routine chore, cities are seeking more cost and fuel-efficient ways to disinfect urban areas.
On the French Riviera, where sanitization trucks spray the streets and sidewalks before the crack of dawn each morning, drones have joined the disinfection drive. A major benefit of drones is that workers do not have to be on the streets at risk of exposure to viruses or carcinogens in disinfectants. These vehicles can fly low, tilt and maneuver to clean a city's nooks and crannies.
In India and Spain, tractors are cleaning the streets. Tractors deployed in agriculture fields to spray pesticides and insecticides are already well-equipped for the job. Maharashtra, the state with the highest number of coronavirus infections, has deployed a fleet of compact Mahindra tractors. The high tech tractors can be programmed to control air output and chemical penetration.
Compact, fuel-efficient tractors are a good choice for greening cities. The Mahindra 1526 looks like a small 4WD sports vehicle and is similarly rugged and ready for adventure. The newest generation of versatile, low maintenance tractors are ideal for city fleets. Easily maneuverable and with changeable parts, these tractors can also be used for snow and dirt removal, and lawn mowing. Tractor filters like the Mahindra 1526 tractor fuel filter are easy to maintain. Automated warnings are given for water, clogging, or low fuel or oil in the Mahindra 1526 fuel filter.
China and Hong Kong have deployed robots to disinfect city streets and subway networks. These robots kill bacteria and viruses while disinfecting. Denmark's UVD Robots and the United Kingdom's Thor-1 are using ultraviolet lights to disinfect. UV robots have proven to be more effective at killing more virulent new strains of super bugs. UVD robots are at work in over 40 countries.
In hazardous jobs that have an increasingly higher risk of virus infections and cancers, robots will be welcome to replace city workers.