January 28, 2019

What is a commercial floor scrubbing robot?

A quick glance at the news or industry press will tell you that robots are everywhere. From the early days of industrial automation, in which robot assembly lines were invented to build our cars, we’re now seeing autonomous vehicles and robots spring up around the world at an unprecedented rate.

In the connected facility, Avidbots is leading the charge with an autonomous, commercial floor scrubbing robot called Neo. Having recently celebrated our fifth birthday, we’re well accustomed to the concept of an airport cleaning robot, a warehouse cleaning robot or a cleaning robot for healthcare facilities. For facilities relying on aging, legacy hardware like ride-on scrubbers or walk-behind scrubbers, the idea of an autonomous floor-cleaning robot scrubbing retail mails, education facilities or factory floors may require some explanation.

So, what is an autonomous floor scrubbing robot? And what are the features that elevate the Neo floor scrubbing robot over ride-on scrubbers and older hardware? Let’s take a look.

Next-generation commercial floor cleaning.

While floor cleaning machines like ride-on scrubbers and walk-behind scrubbers have dominated commercial cleaning for many years, automated floor scrubbing robots are next-generation devices delivering substantial benefits over aging technology. The Neo floor scrubbing robot maps, navigates and cleans your facility floors without the need for a manual operator, offering significant operational and commercial advantages for your business.

What is a Commercial Floor Scrubbing Robot?

Autonomous location mapping and cleaning.

With a sophisticated array of sensors, Neo can map and clean your premises using custom cleaning plans tailored for your specific needs. Neo detects and navigates around new obstacles introduced into your environment and continually updates its cleaning routes to optimize cleaning performance. For those times when operators prefer to be hands-on, Neo also offers an easy-to-use manual cleaning mode.

Maximum uptime and productivity.

With labor costs rising and the continued risk of sickness and absence, managing a productive, cost-effective cleaning operation is a challenge for any facility manager. Neo is always ready and eager to clean, supporting up to six hours of run time on a single battery charge, with longer operating times available by simply swapping batteries over. The 109 L (28.8 gal) clean solution tank and 135 L (35.7 gal) recovery tank offer generous capacity, extending the time required between fills.

Facilities around the world are seeing significant cost savings from deploying Neo, which can be reinvested elsewhere in their operation.

Consistent, high-quality cleaning performance.

Neo never misses a shift and with a choice of cylindrical brush or disc pad cleaning heads, you can select a cleaning configuration that fits the specific challenges of your location. Neo tracks every square foot of every cleaning operation and, via the Avidbots Command Center web app, delivers timely, objective performance reports to your desktop, phone or tablet, with visual cleaning maps, at-a-glance cleaning quality ratings, and deep, granular insight on demand.

Simple to deploy, easy to operate.

While getting Neo up and running is a simple task, you’ll benefit from dedicated support from Avidbots’ Customer Success team. They’ll be on-site during your first few weeks with Neo, training and guiding your team through configuration and operation.

24/7/365 Real-Time Monitoring & Remote Assistance from Avidbots experts

Friendly touchscreen controls and a familiar steering column ensure operators can quickly get up to speed with Neo’s manual cleaning mode, while 24/7/365 Real-Time Monitoring & Remote Assistance from Avidbots experts ensure Neo always performs at its best.

Always connected, always improving.

With Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G LTE network support, Neo can be monitored and managed in real-time, so facility managers are always in touch with the progress of cleaning operations. Should your layout change or you need location-specific adjustments to cleaning plans or settings, they can be synced with Neo in seconds. Of course, while Neo’s already smart, it gets smarter thanks to regular software updates that enable new features and refinements, deployed to the robot automatically over the air.

Neo can be monitored and managed in real-time

Safe and secure operation.

Advanced sensors and safety systems ensure the robot can navigate safely around your premises. Neo detects and navigates around obstacles and will pause or immediately cease operation if an object or person enters Neo’s safety zone. In manual operation, physical safety bumper switches around Neo’s chassis cut power to the drive system should the robot touch an obstacle, while an emergency stop button allows an operator to immediately cease operation in case of an issue.

 

Take the guesswork out of cleaning performance. Neo and the Avidbots Command Center web app work in harmony to provide a deeper understanding of your facility operations while also improving cleaning performance through enhanced visibility and accountability. 

Do you want detailed metrics? Further improvements are possible through baseline productivity data for auditing and comparison. Whether you’re running one robot or a global fleet, you’ll have all the insight you need to analyze and optimize your facility cleaning operations.

Avidbots Command Center

Avidbots Command Center

Enhanced brand and customer experience.

While the “connected facility” or “facility automation” are great industry buzzwords, often the technologies powering these advances are hidden behind the scenes or taken for granted. Automated, low-energy lighting, solar panels tucked away on a roof, and intelligent HVAC systems are fantastic assets to the organization but are likely to be missed or ignored by customers and co-workers alike.

But a robot cleaning your floors every day, working side by side with your operations team in public spaces? That’s a mobile innovation showcase that demonstrates your organization’s progressive outlook and commitment to future technologies. We’ve been excited to see some of our customers around the world cladding Neo in branded graphics or harnessing the robot’s exterior for mobile advertising.

As you can see, Neo’s combination of leading-edge hardware, sophisticated software and first-class support services create a compelling proposition. While commercial floor scrubbing robots may sound like science fiction, Neo is already a valued member of facility operations teams all over the world. Drop us a line to find out more, or to enquire about a meeting with our Sales team.

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