Combating coronavirus: New contactless elevators introduced at Abu Dhabi airport

In a world first, Abu Dhabi Airports has installed new contactless technology for elevators to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
AUH has partnered with Meta Touch, a ground breaking UAE company, to deploy new touchless technology across 53 elevators at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH), helping to prevent cross-infection from interacting with elevator buttons and enable a Covid-19-free airport environment.
The new technology, Tchk (Touch-less Keypad Technology), was designed and manufactured by a start-up based at the UAE University Science and Innovation Park (UAEU SIP), which develops innovative solutions designed to support health and safety, according to a statement issued on Wednesday.
Tchk is a touchless control panel that allows users to command an elevator without physically pressing any buttons, by simply waving their hands in front of the panel to indicate the desired floor or direction.
 
Abu Dhabi Airports' investment in this state-of-the-art technology ensures that its airports and facilities remain safe for passengers, staff and visitors.
Shareef Hashim Al Hashmi, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: "This innovative technology bolsters the extensive safety measures our company has implemented as a regional leader in the airports sector.
 
"We are constantly introducing new solutions at Abu Dhabi International Airport to contain the spread of Covid-19 and deliver a safe, smooth and seamless travel experience for all our customers," Al Hashmi added.
 
Dr. Fady Al Najjar, Associate Professor at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) and Chief Executive Officer of Meta Touch, said: "These new devices are designed to be easy to install on any elevator, enabling companies to quickly introduce this additional protection against the virus."
This new technology follows the recent introduction of CoDi BOT UGV robots designed to support with the sterilisation of staff areas, cargo facilities, and passenger aircraft cabins, as well SterixGates sterilisation booths designed to safely disinfect a person within as little as three seconds.
 
Other new technologies developed to contain Covid-19 at Abu Dhabi International Airport include thermal scanning cameras that incorporate the latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, as well cameras with facial recognition capabilities and heat motion sensors to track the movements of people, including those potentially infected with Covid.