UV air filters to holographic lift buttons, startups offer tech solutions to make offices Covid-safe

Gossip sessions at water coolers, seemingly never-ending meetings and a quick run to the coffee machine to stay awake after a heavy lunch—that was the office before coronavirus struck.

The virus has upended lives and also the way we work, which has been from home for most of the past five months. But as the world comes to terms with the “new normal” and learns to live with the virus, offices are beginning to open up but with a long list of dos and don’ts and a heavy dose of technology to keep the workplace safe.

A new report from the business analytics platform CB Insights talks about some of the companies that are helping drive the change and trying to keep the office safe from the virus.

Lobbies and entrances: A pre-entry check for temperature and wellness could be the new normal. Many companies are using apps and daily health surveys to screen employees before they arrive. This ensures that employees experiencing symptoms or those exposed to a Covid-19 patient do not come in.

The UK-based Onfido and Germany-based IDnow have each engaged with the UK government to discuss the use of immunity passports, which would tie official Covid-19 test results to the user’s digital identity.

Similarly, South Africa-based Kenai can alert building staff if a visitor does not meet entry requirements based on their responses to coronavirus questions.

Elevators and common spaces: About 75 percent of the air in an office is recirculated and filtered indoor air. As a result, filtration systems and humidity controls are top priority in building management, the CB Insights report says.

US-based UV Angel makes an air treatment system that neutralises harmful microbes, including coronaviruses, using light purification technology. It can be installed in a ceiling light fixture.

Other solutions include foot-operated elevators in Thailand malls and ultraviolet sanitation solution from Ashla Systems that uses hospital-grade UVC rays to kill pathogens in elevators.

China-based startup EASPEED has developed a solution to help retrofit elevators with holographic buttons using a glass mirror and an electric sensor to detect finger movements in the air.

Lift buttons have been identified as one of the surfaces that can spread coronavirus. So are elevators, which are small spaces shared by a number of people.

The desk: Startups are also working to ensure social distancing in maintained at work. Density, Staqu, Outsight, Zensors, and VergeSense are developing spatial intelligence and people-counting tech. Singapore-based Contatrack facilitates contact tracing in the office.

These solutions can help businesses plan their return-to-office strategies and monitor them in real time when certain areas in the office reach maximum capacity.

VergeSense uses sensors to monitor occupancy, send alerts when too many people are in a space, and create daily reports to aid in social distancing.

After raising $9 million in Series A funding in May 2020, the company said it expected a 500 percent quarter-on-quarter increase in sales bookings.

With India-based Staqu, businesses can track individuals with elevated body temperatures in real time and determine if they are spaced far enough.

Conferences: While apps such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams have solved the first level of virtual meeting needs, they and other companies are now addressing specific issues.

Miro, a San Francisco-based digital whiteboarding platform, builds customisable software to help teams collaborate—from meetings and workshops to ideation and brainstorming. Miro captures notes and saves whiteboards, which can be more effective than in-person marker sessions where work gets erased.

The company has reportedly seen a surge in usage during the pandemic and already serves 80 percent of the Fortune 100 companies.

Microsoft is developing an algorithmic noise-reduction feature for Teams that automatically mutes ambient sounds. Industry- specific video apps are also expected, depending on the conferencing needs of each business.

Bathrooms: The centre of all hygiene, or the lack of it. Hand sanitisers and disinfectant wipes will be a common sight around the office. Sanitising frequently touched surfaces and shared spaces is among the biggest challenges companies face. Some companies are cleaning shared surfaces as frequently as every hour.

For door handles, startups like NanoSeptic and Skoon make self-cleaning solutions that can be attached to handles at entrances, in conference rooms, lobby and restrooms.

For floors, robots come handy. Canada-based startup AvidBots and Germany-based Adlatus Robotics can clean different floor types, navigating around people as well as furniture, though they are primarily designed for large-scale facilities like airports and warehouses.

Kitchens and break rooms: Like other parts of the office, the kitchen will require more frequent cleaning. For businesses concerned about harsh cleaning chemicals, startup Sanitizit makes a quick drying disinfectant that is safe for food preparation areas.

Along with spacing out appliances and fridges, voice technology can also let employees use the appliances without needing to touch handles and buttons.

Sensory’s Midas microwave can be opened and asked to heat food at a certain temperature for a specified time with voice commands.

Employees can also be fed through packaged options offered by startups that make food delivery seamless for offices of all sizes. Feedr, Foodie and Nutrifix provide similar options, adjusting for individual dietary requirements.

Human resources on the go: Human resources teams have had to adapt to the new normal, as some employees return to the office while others work remotely. Communication, engagement and manager effectiveness and employee wellness are the focus areas.

Startups such as Beekeeper, Happeo and Staffbase aim to improve internal company communications. Beekeeper allows employers to send important notifications across mobile and desktop and receive a confirmation when workers have read their message.

South African startup Wyzetalk has a Covid-19 crisis communication solution designed for businesses. Similarly, Lattice is a performance-management platform that enables teams to visualise and track employee engagement through dashboards, heat maps, and programme scoring to provide continuous feedback.

Germany-based CoachHub helps teams manage remote workers, focus on their development and give personalised feedback to coach employees at every level.