The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to many new innovations for personal hygiene and disinfection of our surroundings. We’ve already seen automatic detection systems, touchless doorbells, hands-free door opener, and other such products crop up over the past year. Now, Swiss company Tweaq has unveiled the world’s first smart self-cleaning door handle.
Tweaq Touch 1 Smart Door Handle
Called the Touch 1 door handle, this is a smart alternative to existing door handles. We have seen foot paddles replace door handles during the pandemic. They help avoid any skin contact with the door handle. Also, you don’t need to use gloves or push the door to open it. Tweaq wants to change that and bring a care-free door opening experience back to users.
The Tweaq Touch 1 door handle, as shown in the video below, includes a ring around the door handle. It runs across the width of the handle and disinfects the surface each time someone touches the handle. This means every person touching the handle will access a clean surface and does not have to worry about germs from the person who opened the door before them.
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How Does This Self-Cleaning Door Handle Work?
The company explains that the Tweaq Touch 1 uses sensors, which trigger the PCB to activate the disinfecting process after someone uses the door handle. It sends a signal to the magnetic aluminum ring, which has a disposable sponge lining, to clean the surface. The mechanism then sprays the sponge ring with disinfectant (an antibacterial solution) and it moves from one end of the handle to the other.
It takes the smart door handle less than 3 seconds to clean the surface. The company claims that the disinfectant removes nearly 99.99% of bacteria and viruses present on the handle. Further, the door handle is also IoT-enabled, includes a lithium-ion battery, and can connect to the Wi-Fi to send data across to the Tweaq app. You can use the app to track the number of uses, disinfectant cartridge replacement (after more than 1000 uses), and other details.
The company boasts that the Touch 1 installation process is consumer-friendly. Users can replace an existing door handle with this smart one, with no additional drilling or wiring, in less than 10 minutes. So, there is no learning curve to either the installation or use of this smart door handle.
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Price and Availability
As for the price and availability, Tweaq Touch 1 self-cleaning door handles are not on sale right now. They are up for pre-order, starting at £349 (~Rs. 35,300) for 1 set. You will have to shell out £799 (~Rs. 35,300) for a three-pack. Larger offerings available on request and there’s a $9/month subscription for enterprises as well.
