San Jose

San Jose Inventors Unveil Graffiti Removing Drone

A pair of South Bay inventors Wednesday unveiled a drone they designed to cover up graffiti during a San Jose tech conference at the Hammer Theater.

The device, invented by Candace Marbury and Christopher Farmer, is designed and equipped to spray paint hard to reach spots such as overpasses, which otherwise would require traffic disruptions to get painted.

β€œWe saw drones as a great solution. It flies. It’s untethered,” Marbury said. β€œThey’re increasing in the amount of payload that they can hold as well as the ability to customize sensors for safety.”

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo attended the convention, and he, like Caltrans, is anxious for the inventors to develop a larger version with the capability to climb and crawl.

β€œWe spend millions of dollars with contractors for graffiti removal every year," said Liccardo. "And that doesn’t even count what it costs taxpayers through Caltrans to get that graffiti off overpasses and bridges.”

Marbury and Farmer say it will be a few months before they become a full-fledged company. But they are glad to have created something that can help better their community.

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