After a difficult judging task from a total of 110 entries the overall winner of the ISSA/INTERCLEAN Amsterdam Innovation Award 2016 is Augmented Reality: Suma Revoflow from Diversey Care. INCLEAN’s managing editor, Kim Taranto, reports from the show.
“This is exciting and inspiring technology that has not been seen in the professional cleaning sector before and it brings with it many opportunities and possibilities,” stated European Cleaning Journal’s Michelle Marshall, chair of the judging panel. “With the use of Augmented Reality facilities managers can perhaps go some way to tackling a number of the problems associated with the industry’s high employee turnover – which include training, knowledge transfer, development of skills and reduction of errors.”
Augmented Reality can be used on mobile phones and tablets to self-train, self-troubleshoot and get remote support directly from Diversey Care. This brings many benefits in terms of reduced downtime, more skilled employees and cost-efficiency.
New products incorporating ‘smart’ technology…
“There were 110 entries in this year’s Amsterdam Innovation Award, with products from all parts of the sector being covered. This year was probably the most diverse, and difficult to judge, we have ever seen,” Michelle said in her award ceremony address.
“The most striking observation is the number of new products now being developed that incorporate ‘smart’ technology in its various forms – whether it is to save on energy and water use, produce real-time data about staff and cleaning machine fleets or monitor room occupancy in order to streamline cleaning operations. Or indeed to carry out the cleaning operation autonomously, in the case of robots.
“Having said that, we were also impressed with many of the manual cleaning tools and products that are being developed to provide the operative with more ergonomic, sustainable, cost-effective and practical solutions to everyday cleaning challenges,” she added. “After all, cleaning is still a labour-intensive sector so the evolution of more user-friendly manual methods remains vital.
“So many of the products we have seen have been designed with sustainability in mind, both in terms of using less water, energy and chemicals and in the way they are manufactured. Total life cycle impact, and ‘Cradle to Cradle’ are terms we are now commonly seeing being put into practice.”
The Winners of the Amsterdam Innovation Award 2016
Category: Machines, accessories and components
Winner – Robot RA 660 NAVI from Cleanfix
The jury voted the Cleanfix robot as the winner of this category because the company has worked closely with users over many years to develop a machine that is now in use across Europe. The jury was particularly impressed with its navigation system, which uses laser, and its efficiency in mapping rooms, putting in place virtual walls, and ease of use for the operator. In summary, a robotic cleaning machine ready for the real world.
Category: Equipment/tools for cleaning, care and safety
Winner: Quick & Easy System from Werner & Mertz Professional
The jury was impressed with the ultimate portability, simplicity and practicality of Quick & Easy. The operator wears the system on a belt and can move from room to room with five different chemicals, interchanging between them quickly and easily. There is no need for installation and the operative does not come into direct contact with the chemical, making it completely safe.
Category: Cleaning management and training solutions
Winner – Augmented Reality: Suma Revoflow from Sealed Air Diversey Care
Augmented Reality is an exciting and far-reaching technology being brought to the cleaning sector for the first time by Diversey Care with its Suma Revoflow. The plan is to expand its use to many other areas, with mobility and the increasing use of mobile devices being the key driver. It enables upskilling of operatives through the use of I.T., with knowledge transfer made significantly easier.
Kärcher wins the Visitor’s Choice Award
The visitor’s choice prize is awarded to the nominee that is voted as the most innovative by ISSA/INTERCLEAN Amsterdam visitors. With 45 per cent of the votes, Kärcher’s BRC 40/22 C walk-forward carpet cleaning machine was the winner for 2016.