R-ZERO Arc

R-Zero's flagship UVC disinfection device. A portable, hospital-grade tower built to be deployed across restaurants, gyms, classrooms, hotels, and medical offices.

The Brief

R-Zero was founded in early 2020 with the goal to bring whole-room UV-C disinfection into everyday spaces at a price and ease-of-use that worked for hospitality, education, and small healthcare clinics.

Constraints

The primary users would be housekeeping and janitorial staff, often near the end of long shifts, so every interaction had to be effortless. The device also had to be aggressively cost-engineered to support a roughly $17/day lease price, and it had to ship at scale during the first year of the pandemic.

Direction

Smooth, calm forms with clean lines read as precise and trustworthy without falling into medical or industrial equiptment territory. The product had to look like something a hotel or restaurant manager would willingly wheel through a guest space.

Form & Iteration

The form focused on the relationship between the cylindrical UV column and the wheeled base, making the device visually anchored when stationary and clearly transportable when in motion.

Ergonomics

Offset wheels and a protruding handle shifted the touch points away from foot collisions during transport, and allowed for multiple grab positions for easily moving. Special attention was given to the location, angle, and curvature of the handle to ensure grip comfort with entended use.

CMF

A lightly metallic white powder coat was chosen to keep the device feeling light, approachable, and easily cleanable. A 360° light pipe stays visible from any angle when the device is operating and clearly indicates use messages like success or error states.

What Shipped

Arc launched in August 2020 and was deployed across hospitality, education, and healthcare during the early pandemic period. It went on to win an IDSA IDEA Bronze in 2021 (Health & Medical category) and helped R-Zero become one of the fastest scaling biosafety companies of that period.