As drones become more popular, drone companies and operators are coming up with new innovative ways to use them. The latest is a brilliant idea by three Davidson College students to attach a hose to a drone to help clean buildings.

Keeping a building’s exterior clean helps to maintain its value and overall aesthetic appeal. However, not many homeowners or property managers clean their buildings that often.  The reason being is that it’s a physical demanding job requiring scaffolding and other rigs for cleaners to reach high up on buildings.

David Danielson, Adrian Mayans, and Andrew Ashur came up with the idea last fall after seeing people hanging from great heights while cleaning the windows of skyscrapers. They decided drones were better for the job and immediately saw a huge business opportunity in it. After a bit of research and testing, they went ahead and started a drone assisted exterior cleaning company which is now doing business in the Lake Norman, North Carolina area. They started with small residential homes but now have the hardware needed to clean larger buildings. They hope to expand their services to the Triangle area of north Carolina and perhaps even Virginia.

The company, which they named Lucid, says their method can remove mold, algae, mildew, and other external growth more quickly and cheaper than other contractors. Their method is simple. The company delivers the drone, a hose, the cleaning solution, plus the necessary operators required to assemble and fly the cleaning drones.

Instead of pressure washing, Lucid prefers using a combination of biodegradable cleaners followed by rinsing with water. This method helps preserve the exterior  finish of the buildings. Before creating the business, Ashur and his friends had to get their Part 107, which is the FAA license to fly drones commercially. They also checked with the FAA to verify that their cleaning solutions didn’t violate any laws (which they did not).  Over the summer, Lucid secured their business insurance, upgraded their drone hardware, and even hired a full time employee to help them expand operations. They are now seeking commercial clients and have already received some interest from colleges in the area, with Davidson being one of them. It’s always great to see new unique ways drones are being used in society, and this is certainly only the beginning. In addition to cleaning buildings, drones are used in real estate in various ways especially for marketing purposes by taking high-quality aerial footages.