When most people hear about drones, they probably think of equipment to capture video or photos, or even to deliver goods. But what about cleaning buildings and windows?

With our customers’ safety in mind, Sunbelt Rentals has partnered with Lucid Drone Technologies to offer new rental equipment — the C1 Spraying Drone: North America’s only purpose-built drone for exterior building cleaning. It is made to spray any liquid, including water and cleaning solutions, to clean thoroughly while keeping you safely on the ground. No more ladders or scaffolding.

The Benefits

In addition to safer operation for exterior cleaning, the Lucid C1 Spraying Drone offers the benefit of being more cost-effective and time-efficient so you and your team can clean more frequently within the same budget. It also requires less labor, so you can work more resourcefully — assigning other cleaning tasks to employees to keep your facility in top shape and solve more meaningful problems. The C1 Spraying Drone can also reach all areas of the building for a detailed cleaning.

Additional benefits:

• There is less disruption to tenants and customers since there is no need to move ladders or set up scaffolding. Eliminating this unnecessary equipment also helps protect landscaping from damage.
  
• Facility managers, owners, and cleaning providers can reduce costs by completing cleaning projects faster. They can also lower insurance rates and reduce the liability associated with working from heights.
  
• The C1 Spraying Drone provides more flexibility than traditional cleaning methods since it offers an extended reach. It can scale vertically and horizontally to clean more square footage in one pass compared with a worker on a ladder.
• Using recommended cleaning solutions, it is possible to remove stains at their root without damaging the building surface. The C1 Spraying Drone provides low-pressure, soft spray washing of less than 300 pounds per square inch (or PSI).
• The drone provides no-touch window cleaning with a water rinse for a spot- and streak-free finish.

How the C1 Spraying Drone Works

While Lucid has implemented sophisticated technology in the C1 Spraying Drone, it is easy to learn to use. Drone operators are required to complete the necessary training to obtain a Part 107 license from the FAA. Facility managers, owners, and service providers must also hold aviation insurance. Sunbelt Rentals can assist customers with these requirements.

The C1 cleaning drone can be easily integrated into an existing on-ground, soft-wash pump system that offers operation of up to 11 gallons per minute (gpm) of solution at 300 PSI. The operator tethers the drone to the system so the cleaning solution can be transferred through a hose to a nozzle on the drone. Sunbelt Rentals and Lucid Drone Technologies have an approved cleaning solution program with multiple options to choose from, or you can select your own preferred product. The drone contains durable parts so it can withstand high levels of corrosive chemicals, including bleach.

After you tether the drone to the pump, a remote valve on the drone allows you to start and stop the spray from a controller. You can direct the C1 Spraying Drone to scale multiple stories in a matter of seconds, but it is limited by the FAA to flying no higher than 110 feet.

When not in use, the drone folds down to a much smaller footprint and fits inside a travel case.

Features of the C1 Spraying Drone

Lucid has designed the Spraying Drone to support both safety and performance.

• To prevent collisions, an obstacle avoidance setting keeps the C1 Spraying Drone at a set distance from the building, typically three and a half meters.
• When the drone is idle, its high-end positioning system keeps it in one position that is level within a few centimeters.
• The drone utilizes an array of sensors that allow it to fly in urban locations.  These sensors are programmed in a unique way that allow for safe use in city environments.
• Lucid has programmed the drone to operate slowly so it can safely and effectively clean durable surfaces and windows. It moves at about the same pace that a worker would walk.
• Intelligent batteries have an LED indicator to show the current charge state so it’s easy to determine available cleaning time. Fully charged batteries offer approximately 15 to 20 minutes of flight, and the drone requires two batteries for each flight.
• A multi-directional spray nozzle can spray upward and downward, so it is easy to clean hard-to-reach areas.

Sunbelt Rentals Can Help

Sunbelt Rentals is making the Lucid C1 Spraying Drone available for rent nationwide and offers service, support, and maintenance. We can also provide access to a network of drone pilots or assistance with licensing, depending on your needs. For more information, contact our experts today.