Hands-on with Cleanbox to sanitize VR headsets

These weeks I have been pretty busy with the delivery of a project, and the delivery has culminated with a demo of the VR solution we have developed. Since the COVID is strong now in Italy, we thought that it could have been a good idea to use Cleanbox to sanitize the headsets that we used during the demo. Do you want to know my impressions from using Cleanbox for a day? Of course, you want, so keep reading 🙂

What is Cleanbox?

This is not the first time I talk about Cleanbox in this blog. Some months ago, I interviewed the CEO of the company, Amy Hedrick, and I asked her about this interesting product. Cleanbox is a transparent box inside which you can put a VR headset to sanitize it: when the box is turned on, Cleanbox emits UVC rays that kill most bacteria and viruses (including the coronaviruses), so that the headset can be worn by the next user in full safety.

Because of the interview I had with Amy, I had a lot of curiosity about trying the device and this project has been a good opportunity to do it. So, here you are what I’ve learned using the Cleanbox.

Cleanbox – Video Impressions

I’ve shot a video inside which you can see me turning on the Cleanbox to sanitize a Quest 2 and hear some impressions of mine… you can watch it here if you are curious!

After you have watched it, you can go on, for deeper insight into this device.

Getting a Cleanbox

The first hurdle for us was actually getting a Cleanbox to use. Cleanbox is an enterprise device, so it isn’t cheap (that is, it costs more than $1000). The price is fair if you have a sustainable business, but if you just need one for 1-2 days of usage, it is a bit overkill. Unluckily, Cleanbox doesn’t rent its devices (IMHO, it should) so if you just need it for a one-shot event, the best you can do is rent it from some companies that own it. We asked for help to our friends at VitruvianVR and they kindly lent us the device for us to use during the big day.

If instead you need it for long and extensive usage (e.g. you have an LBVR venue), then my advice is to buy it.

Logistic details

When we got it, we realized that the device was bigger than we imagined. From the video, it seems a little device around the Quest, while actually its dimensions are all around 40-50cm. It is pretty bulky, and this has given us some problems to transport it inside a car and also to find a place where to put it in the demo area… but in the end, we found a way. Remember that it must also be connected to a 220V power outlet, so be sure to have it in your VR demo area.

Summarizing, if you want to use the Cleanbox for a demo, be sure to have the space where to put it, and to have a nearby electric socket.

Easiness of use

Once you have solved all the preliminary logistic problems, the setup and use of the device is a piece of cake.

There is no setup and the device is ready as soon as you connect it to the power. And to use it, you have just to open its door, put the headset inside, close the door and press the button to start the sanitization of the headset.

Once the sanitization starts, you will see a purple light inside the box, and you will hear a noise similar to the one of a vacuum cleaner. When the noise and the lights turn off, you can open the lid, and take your sanitized headsets. It is incredible how by just putting a headset inside a box, you can have a full sanitization that kills the covid: it seems too simple, but actually it works. We were able to use sanitized headsets by just following this simple procedure.

Some pieces of advice if you plan to use it

I can give you some pieces of advice if you plan using the Cleanbox too:

• The sanitization procedure lasts 1 minute for each headset. Take this time in consideration when you plan your demos, especially if you have multiple headsets to sanitize between different trials. To avoid dead times, you can use this time to entertain your users in some other ways (e.g. making them watch a video, or by talking with them);
• Cleanbox sanitizes your headsets, but doesn’t completely remove the dirt. If you have its special spray, it will cover your headset with a special substance that will make the dirt slip away, but in any case, it is better that you manually remove dirt, sweat, etc… from the headset. My piece of advice is using a sanitized wipe after each use to remove the dirt from the device, and then sanitize it with the UVC rays to remove the bacteria. This is even more important if the company renting it to you has forgot giving you the spray (like it happened in our case);
• Even if you have the Cleanbox, have some anti-bacteria wipes with you: sometimes the users will require you to have a quick look inside the headset, but you can’t spend 2 minutes to sanitize it before putting it on, and then to sanitize it again before returning it to the user, so you may do a quick sanitization by using sanitizing wipes on the lenses and the facemask of the device before looking inside it and before returning it back to your user. This is not 100% safe, but if you use the wipes well, it should be ok in most cases;
• To provide a safer experience, please use facemasks made with silicon or leatherette: the standard sponge ones not only make viruses happy, but they also soak in sweat. The sanitization with wipes is also much more effective using the silicon masks, because the cover is water-proof and so you know you have only to clean its surface;
• You don’t have to worry about putting your turned-on headset inside the Cleanbox: we never turned off the Quests before putting them inside the Cleanbox and they never came out with problems. The first time it seems weird, but actually, the UVC rays don’t damage the electronics of the device as the company claims.

The importance of having it

The people we demoed our VR solution to were very impressed by our use of the Cleanbox. First of all, it is not common to see such a device for VR demos, and then it clearly showed that we cared about their safety a lot. We gave the impression that we did everything we could to guarantee that they could play with VR safely and this gave us a reputation boost in their regards. From a business standpoint, it has surely been a plus having used it.

Final impressions

My experience with Cleanbox has been incredibly positive: it is simple to be used, it works, and it helps a lot in giving a sense of safety to the people that have to put VR headsets on their heads. It is a bit expensive, but if you need it, it is a valuable tool in the life of a VR company.

(Header image by Cleanbox)