Autonomous Cleaning Lessons Learned

When we think about the challenges robots face, we often think about the physical tasks they are performing - gripping an object out of a bin, or avoiding getting stuck when delivering materials to a packing station. While many of these challenges still exist, larger problems are often found in the ecosystem surrounding robots.

Take cleaning, for example. Almost all of the cleaning tasks performed by robots are technologically possible, and have been for decades. Tasks like autonomously vacuuming, sweeping, or mopping a floor don’t necessarily require major technological upgrades. As long as the robots or machines are in a highly controlled environment, the robots work great.

The larger challenge is to make sure these systems work in the real world, where humans, robots and vehicles often get in the way. For example, in a hospital setting, an autonomous robot must deal with doctors, nurses, patients and visitors all sharing the same hallway space, often in a non-stop work environment. What worked in the lab won’t always work in a dynamic space.

In addition, forces beyond the control of a company, turbulent market and other economic factors, can often sway the growth of a robotics company. As we have seen in other industries, sometimes the best technology doesn’t always win, and the company that can take advantage of key moments (plus a little bit of luck) will often emerge victorious. Being in the right place at the right time matters.

Buck Ward, the founder and president of Cyberclean Systems, knows these lessons well. With more than 35 years in the robotics space, Ward has been involved in the development and deployment of several different autonomous mobile robot systems, including cleaning robots.

Ward will share lessons learned from his time in the industry, as well as how they can be applied to robotics in other sectors, in a free webinar on Wednesday, Aug. 25, at 8 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. ET. Ward and InOrbit’s Florian Pestoni will discuss how companies can bring automated cleaning to scale through the use of data, analytics and support for RobOps (Robot Operations) principles.

Reserve your spot for this webinar to learn more.