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Vancouver International Airport to introduce self-cleaning kiosks

borderxpress-kiosk
BorderXpress kiosks at the Vancouver International Airport. (via Submitted)

In response to the impacts of COVID-19, Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is introducing a new self-cleaning and contactless system to their BorderXpress kiosks.

The BorderXpress kiosks, which expedites passenger wait times at YVR, will include three new features: gesture-based controls, ultraviolet (UV) cleaning light and a glass touch screen protector.

The new features, developed by YVR’s Innovative Travel Solutions (ITS) team, will allow passengers will be able to control the on-screen cursor of the kiosk with hand gestures and make contactless selections 30 centimetres away from the screen, according to YVR’s website.

A UV light will also be implemented into the kiosk’s document and fingerprint scanner to “clean 99.9 per cent of bacteria” in a three-minute cycle.

Lastly, an “active touch screen protector,” that is baked into the glass of the kiosk, takes any light and turns it into a source that will kill 99.99 per cent of microbes including COVID-19.

While these technologies are still in production, two of the three are being tested in a prototype kiosk at YVR’s CBSA hall.