silhouette of drone concept in the city

A Fairfax County, Virginia, startup is using drone technology to clean multi-storied buildings, according to an article on the Fairfax Times website.

In an effort to eliminate the need for scaffolding platforms for cleaning windows and other exterior surfaces, Lucid has combined the dexterity of a drone with a cleaning system, allowing them to clean buildings more economically and in less time.

Lucid’s drone can climb multiple stories in the matter of seconds, while also spraying more than 2,000 square feet of a building’s surface in less than five minutes.

Andrew Ashur, Adrian Mayans and David Danielson — Lucid co-founders — created a tethering system that allows the company to more efficiently clean the exterior surfaces of buildings by using an industrial drone.  They’re able to implement automation technology and artificial intelligence features — such as visual sensors —to make the cleaning process even more efficient.

For more information on how technology — including drones — is affecting the facilities industry, check out the Built Environment Technology Association (BETA). The organization was established to equip the facility management, real estate, construction, design, and urban planning industries to better understand and use developing technologies.

This includes advances in:
 • machines talking to machines through the Internet of Things (IoT)
 • smart buildings, campuses and cities
 • building automation systems
 • artificial intelligence and augmented reality
 • design, material and construction technologies
 • blockchain
 • cyber security
 • the cloud, mobility and analytics
 • the evolution of integrated workplace management solutions (IWMS)
 • building information modeling and collaboration tools
 • 3D/4D/5D printing
 • and, of course,  drones.

Read the full article.