IoT/IoRT and Why it Matters for Commercial Cleaning
The Internet of Things (IoT) connects smart devices to the internet. It provides visibility into previously inaccessible data and enables valuable monitoring and smart decision-making capabilities.
No longer just a trend, IoT devices are gaining traction in every industry — and commercial cleaning is no exception. According to the IoT Industry Report, “The global Internet of Things (IoT) market was valued at $190 billion USD in 2018 and is projected to reach $1,102.6 billion by 2026.”
What is the Internet of Robotic Things (IoRT)?
A subset of IoT, the Internet of Robotic Things (or IoRT) refers specifically to intelligent, internet-connected robotics with remote monitoring and data-driven decision making capabilities. According to ABI Research, the IoRT is a concept where intelligent robots use sensor data to actively monitor surrounding conditions and autonomously make smart decisions — in some cases while physically moving through the physical world.
In practical terms, an example of an IoRT device is a cleaning robot that can be monitored remotely, navigating autonomously through its cleaning routes, intelligently avoiding obstacles — all without the need for human intervention.
IoT Cleaning Robots: 3 Benefits for Your Business
IoRT devices might sound futuristic, but they offer many tangible and immediate benefits for commercial cleaning businesses. Some of the largest benefits for commercial cleaners include: increased visibility into cleaning performance, increased cleaning effectiveness and efficiency, and the ability to intelligently optimize their cleaning operations.
1. INCREASE VISIBILITY INTO CLEANING PERFORMANCE AND ROI
A key challenge in the cleaning industry has always been the lack of visibility into cleaning status and performance. With manual labor alone, it can be challenging to track cleaning progress and quickly identify and resolve changes in performance trends. In contrast, smart cleaning robots enable advanced monitoring capabilities, so you can remotely monitor cleaning progress in (nearly) real-time and respond if attention is needed.
In addition to enabling real-time remote monitoring and performance feedback, connected cleaning technologies can also provide automated reports for long-term analysis of cleaning performance. For example, Whiz, the autonomous vacuum sweeper from SoftBank Robotics, collects data about when, where, and how long it ran a route.
Data is stored in the cloud and can be accessed immediately via Whiz Connect. This SaaS application simplifies access to reports and ROI analysis, and it provides a complete performance picture. Its data-driven analytics features enable customers to not only manage their robotic vacuuming fleet effectively, but also continually improve cleaning quality — and track ROI in a measurable way.
2. OPTIMIZE CLEANING OPERATIONS AND INCREASE EFFICIENCY
Increasing visibility doesn’t stop at just knowing what is happening in your day-to-day cleaning operations. The true value of IoT devices comes from leveraging that data to make smart, data-driven decisions to optimize your business, ultimately saving time and money.
Autonomous vacuum sweepers like Whiz allow you to track key metrics, like where and how floors were vacuumed. Armed with this data, you will be able to identify challenges or bottlenecks that reduce your operational efficiency and pinpoint specific opportunities to optimize your operations.
3. INCREASE CLEANING QUALITY
IoT cleaning robots can also help janitorial teams increase cleaning quality — and quantify the improvements in your cleaning performance. For example, mundane, time-consuming tasks like manual vacuuming can produce inconsistent and unpredictable results.
With smart, autonomous cleaning robots like Whiz, these tasks are completed the same way every time, reducing the variability and unpredictability of manual cleaning. Plus, with automated performance reports, you (and your clients) can also visualize improvements in cleaning quality.
Conclusion
Autonomous cleaning solutions like Whiz, the autonomous vacuum sweeper from Softbank Robotics, developed and distributed in partnership with Brain OS and ICE Robotics, are available with a subscription model, allowing you to cost-effectively pilot the solution in your properties.
Written by: SoftBank Robotics Team
