The San Antonio Spurs will use robot technology to disinfect the AT&T Center as the NBA sees a rise in infections among its players.
The Spurs will be the first pro basketball team to use the Xenex LightStrike robots to help slow the spread of the virus among players and staff in the arena.
Manufactured by San Antonio-based Xenex Disinfection Services LightStrike robots use pulsed xenon to create intense bursts of broad spectrum UV light that quickly destroys viruses and bacteria on surfaces. The intense UV light produced by a LightStrike robot does four types of cellular damage to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, rendering it unable to mutate or reproduce.
The robots are equipped with a Xenon lamp that uses UV light rays to kill the virus. The lamp has a 14-foot range, and the treatment is reportedly 99.99% effective. The killer droids will disinfect all areas of the arena.
“Our goal is to have the AT&T Center be the cleanest, safest arena in the NBA and the LightStrike robot is an invaluable tool in helping us achieve this distinction,” said Casey Heverling, Vice President and General Manager of the AT&T Center. “We spent a lot of time reviewing hundreds of different technologies, and, when we came across the LightStrikerobot and the UV technology it deploys, we knew we had to have that here because of its effectiveness in killing the coronavirus and creating the safest, cleanest environment possible.”
Irene Hahn, senior vice president of global sales and marketing for Xenex, said, “Being chosen to be part of the San Antonio Spurs’ disinfection strategy is a significant honor for Xenex for many reasons, but especially because it’s our hometown team and we love our Spurs. It’s exciting to know that our robots are in use at the AT&T Center, helping provide players, personnel and fans with the cleanest possible arena.”
The NFL Carolina Panthers were the first professional sports team to deploy LightStrike robots as part of their re-opening strategy.
Photos Courtesy: San Antonio Spurs