Health and wellness tech company Hand IQ is committed to helping restaurants rebuild customer trust with the use of its smart hand hygiene assistant–a device that attaches to soap or sanitizing dispensers and individually encourages people to wash their hands in shared spaces.

The proprietary device uses sensor fusion and Bluetooth technology, machine learning and gamification to communicate when and how to properly wash your hands through visual and audio cues, track team and individual compliance, create a custom data dashboard with real-time reporting, and leverage marketing value to garner consumer trust. For less than $300 and in under 30 minutes, a restaurant can install four Hand IQ devices and instantly have an automated hand hygiene program that guarantees improved handwashing among staff and customers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the number one way to stop deadly diseases like COVID-19 from spreading is to wash or sanitize your hands frequently. The spread of germs from the hands of food workers to food is a common cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurants. Almost 90% of foodborne illnesses could be prevented by proper handwashing. If everyone routinely washed their hands, 1,000,000 deaths a year could be prevented.

“Our mission is to save 1,000,000 lives in 10 years by building a culture of clean hands through the global use of our device,” says Sean Podvent, Hand IQ’s Founder/CEO. “When we first started developing the technology for hospitals back in 2017, we wanted to find a way to take something mundane like handwashing and make it fun. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we’ve been focusing on bringing our tool to the industry segment that needs it most right now: restaurants.”

When it comes to re-opening restaurants, consumer studies show that safety takes precedence over every other attribute, including visiting a favorite restaurant, quality food and affordability. Restaurants need to visibly demonstrate the extra hygiene measures they’ve taken so their customers feel safe. At $60/device, Hand IQ offers a high-tech, low-cost solution for restaurants to signal their commitment to the safety of both their customers and their employees.

Hand IQ is now starting pilots with Del Taco and Kitchen United and is currently in talks with other chain and independent restaurants.