Andrew Zelinka, Layla Jeries, and Ethan Punch
VioClean
A group of UAH students are continuing to develop an ultraviolet (UV) disinfecting towel warmer intended to freshen up clothes in multiple ways.
Representing their company, VioClean, UAH students Andrew Zelinka, Layla Jeries and Ethan Punch will participate in the final round of the Boeing New Business Challenge. The product they will present is a towel warmer that uses UV light to quickly but effectively clean and disinfect clothing. The design is a large square-shaped casing enclosed with a lid. Inside there is a small column that holds a centralized deodorizer, and also inside are the UV lights–four strips of lights on the outer sides, four strips around the deodorizer column, and one strip on the inside of the lid. The UV lights primarily target microorganisms responsible for foul odors. Speaking about how the product uses the UV lights, Jeries said, “it’s gonna kill those microorganisms that are gonna make really bad smells as they’re alive. … It just destroys their genetic material which keeps them from growing, and if they’re not alive, they’re not gonna make the smelly byproducts we all hate.” While the UV lights get rid of nasty odors, the deodorizer adds more pleasant ones. Users can place scent beads inside the deodorizer’s compartment to make their clothes smell good.
Indeed, VioClean’s towel warmer is intended not just for towels, but for any soiled clothes or fabrics. The casing can fit multiple items at once, and in a cycle of about 20 minutes it cleans, warms and odorizes them. Developing a convenient, compact product that has multiple complementing functions was VioClean’s main motivation. “Creating something where you can just sort of toss [garments] in, press a button, and then all is contained within this one [product] … was our main goal,” Zelinka said.
Each student manages a different aspect of the project. Punch–an electrical engineer senior–is in charge of the prototype design. He began with only a towel warmer, then designed, 3D-printed and incorporated the UV lights and deodorizer, and he also programmed the functions of the product. Jeries–a biology major with specialization in microbiology–is responsible for testing the effectiveness of the product’s functions. She has designed and conducted tests, aiming to quantify the practical success of the product. Finally, Zelinka–who has worked for UAH’s Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) for a year–handles the marketing and business analyses relating to the product.
The origin of this project was somewhat unconventional. All three students were individually introduced to the idea of a UV disinfecting product that came through the OTC. As a worker at the OTC, Zelinka was approached to work with the UV technology and participate in the Boeing Challenge. Jeries was told that a UV product needed its functionality tested and swiftly took on the responsibility upon joining the team.. Finally, Punch eagerly joined after one of his professors asked his class if anyone was interested in building a circuit for a UV product.
Summarizing the origin of the product, Zelinka said, “the idea itself was just using UV lights to sanitize clothes for the purpose of getting rid of smelly and bacteria-laden laundry. The towel warmer itself, that was something that we sort of came up with and decided would be the best way for us to solve the problem.”
For its participation in the Boeing competition, the VioClean team has specific areas it has worked on improving before the final round. Firstly, Zelinka has focused on establishing a strong business plan. This has involved actions such as solidifying target consumers, creating financial projections, and more. Secondly, lack of materials and their unstable distribution prompted Punch to work on making a scaled prototype model that will stand in place of a larger prototype. Additionally, he is considering adding a few more functions to the product. Finally, Jeries has adapted the types of tests she conducted to measure the most relevant information that can demonstrate the product’s effectiveness.
Speaking about how they might use earned scholarship money from the competition, the team agreed that it would be mainly invested into further developing and refining its product. Speaking briefly about this, Punch said, “I’d just make the best product as I can [and] spend as much time with it as I can.” Despite the great progress it has made, the VioClean team continues to work on its product as the Boeing competition draws near.
The New Boeing Business Challenge is a competition hosted by the UAH College of Business and sponsored by Boeing. Undergraduate and graduate students were invited to pitch business ideas for the opportunity to win up to $15,000 in scholarships. The competition consists of two rounds, the qualifying and final round. The final round requires teams to conduct a verbal presentation and submit a written business plan. The final round will occur on March 4, 2022.
