Graffiti tagging might meet its match with Aquiline Drones’ new nationwide campaign

Connecticut-based Aquiline Drones is launching a new nationwide campaign to support cities struggling with graffiti tagging. After developing the solution with the Washington State Department of Transportation, it’s time to take its paint-spraying drones to the market to “Make America Clean Again.”

Aquiline Drones, a company that cleans buildings and roofs using drones, announces its graffiti cleaning solution is now available to cities across the United States. Built to reduce graffiti tagging by a factor of 10, it’s the only solution out there that uses drones as a method to cover up offensive and illegal graffiti markings, making operations safer for DOT workers.

The company states the solution uses a combination of video surveillance to detect graffiti tagging in progress and push notifications to notify the proper authorities about the need for a cleanup.

Then DOT workers can take Aquiline Drones’ specially made Spartacus Endure out to the location to spray over the spot with new paint. The Spartacus Endure is a $30,000 drone designed in-house for multiple missions like crop spraying, delivery, and roof or window washing. However, the drone can now be equipped with a paint air sprayer to cover graffiti tags in hard-to-reach spots.

“If technology benefits society, I say let it. And let’s be deliberate about success while we’re at it!” says Barry Alexander, Founder and CEO of Aquiline Drones, said in a statement. “Time to make America clean again” Alexander continues.

Last year, Aquiline Drones was asked to work with the Washington State Department of Transportation to develop a solution for their graffiti tagging problems. Michael Gauger, Maintenance Operations Superintendent for WSDOT, oversaw the cleanup of graffiti work and realized there had to be a better and cheaper way.

Aquiline Drones was asked to help with the project, and Gauger quickly found that using drones was the way forward. Instead of waiting for specialized trucks and setting up safety equipment for personnel, the drones can operate with two workers: a pilot and the painter. One flies the drone while the other ensures there’s a steady supply of paint for the sprayer.

“The use of drones to remove graffiti in dangerous and difficult locations is also a better use of resources. It takes less time to remove the graffiti with a drone compared to traditional methods, which deters ‘retagging,'” Gauger stated in his report about testing the new system.

Removing tags is an expensive job, requiring special equipment, paid workers, and, depending on the location, a day of work. Gauger estimates that removing tags in hard-to-reach locations can cost the state up to $25,000. Meanwhile, a can of spray paint can cost just a few bucks.

Graffiti-fighting drones cost taxpayers less, are safer, and get the job done quicker.