Whiz is an AI autonomous vacuum sweeper that is reinventing commercial carpet cleaning.

Developed by SoftBank Robotics and powered by BrainOS, Brain Corp’s commercial operating system, Whiz is capable of navigating complex and dynamic environments autonomously, while ensuring the highest levels of cleaning performance and safety.

In Australia, Whiz has been deployed by, GJK Indigenous Solutions. Started in 2017, GJK Indigenous Solutions is a leading Aboriginal-owned and operated commercial cleaning and associated services company.

GJK Indigenous Solutions employs more than 250 staff across its national footprint, with 34 per cent Aboriginal employment across its contracts Australia-wide. The company’s services include commercial cleaning, infection control, hygiene and sanitation solutions, and waste and recycling solutions.

“Our vision is to be one of the largest Aboriginal-owned and operated facilities services company in Australia,” explains Max Newman – Executive General Manager GJK Indigenous Solutions.

Currently, GJK Indigenous Solutions has deployed the autonomous Whiz vacuum sweeper as part of works provided to a commercial real estate services firm, Cushman & Wakefield, and its client National Australia Bank (NAB), at George St, Sydney, where it is used for night cleaning of floor carpet and carpet tiles across four 1600sqm levels.

“Whiz was a significant investment for GJK Indigenous Solutions but since its launch, the feedback from clients has been outstanding, and the quality of the product has been even better,” says Newman.

Collaborative cleaning

One of the first cleaning ‘cobots’ on the market, Whiz is a self-driving machine designed for soft-surface floor vacuuming.

Cobots are collaborative robots which carry out repetitive and strenuous tasks which would otherwise be performed by cleaners, but they work alongside individuals and within a team, not in their place. According to Interact Analysis, the market for collaborative robots is growing rapidly, and the annual revenue for cobots is expected to grow to $1.94 billion by 2028.

Small, agile, and intelligent, Whiz can easily manoeuvre around obstacles — and keep out of the way of passing people. For Newman and his team, the Whiz completes multi-surface vacuuming cleaning, including walkways, common areas, and office stations.

“We saw Whiz as an opportunity to remove the labour some task of vacuuming, reduce safety risks and manual handling, and at the same time allow our workforce to focus more on critical cleaning services such as sanitation and disinfecting,” explains Newman.

“Whiz has allowed us to redistribute hours back to our staff and offer value-added services to our customers, such as extra touch point cleaning and sanitisation of workstations, which have become critical tasks during COVID-19.”

Whiz is powered by BrainOS and can record up to 600 cleaning routes, for which staff teach the cobot the initial floor cleaning route upon their first use.

Subsequently, routes are stored in Whiz so it can repeat the cleaning route autonomously. Through cloud data visualisation, cleaning and status reports on Whiz can be gathered and analysed.

With its computer vision navigation, Whiz can navigate its way close to walls and avoid obstacles, while the notification pager can send real-time alerts. Whiz can clean areas up to 15,000 sqft, the size of three basketball courts, for three hours on a single-battery charge.

“There were concerns from our staff initially Whiz would reduce their working hours, but once discussed there was a greater understanding of how our team members and the cobot could work together,” explains Newman.

“Our team love working with it because they don’t have to vacuum. They see it as a massive support. Personally, I think it is one of the best tech innovations on the market and we are really excited about it.”

Data-driven insights

As Whiz cleans, it collects data about its route that includes when, where, and how long it ran. Data is stored in the cloud and can be accessed in near real time via Whiz Connect. This SaaS application simplifies access to reports and ROI analysis.

Whiz Connect keeps track of several metrics, providing a complete performance picture. Its data-driven analytics features mean customers can not only manage their fleet effectively, but they can also continually improve cleaning quality — and track ROI in a measurable way.

Whiz Connect provides usage metrics and other data analytics to confirm performance and improve efficiency and effectiveness over time.

“COVID-19 has dramatically changed how our clients view cleaning. They understand the importance of a clean facility, not only from a cleanliness standpoint but also for the health of their workers.

“Whiz is an innovation that improves safety, removes laboursome or mundane tasks for team members and re-diverts their time into really important aspects of cleaning that will be critical in facilities post-COVID – sanitisation and touch point cleaning.”

Since launching Whiz, GJK Indigenous Solutions has purchased two additional Whiz robots, which the company plans to roll out to sites in Sydney and Perth.

“We have put a lot of time and effort in to understanding and deploying Whiz in our facilities and we are excited to be rolling out more machines with our existing clients and a healthcare site.”

As part of the roll out, GJK Indigenous Solutions will introduce new technologies to the cobots, including UV-C disinfection lighting, which will enable it to remove any germs while its vacuuming.

“One of the biggest challenges in the industry is trying to remain competitive, but through the use of Whiz we are now able to offer technology and innovation to our customers.

“With the help of Whiz, we’re reaching our vision to be the largest employer of Aboriginal people in the cleaning industry and we’re well on the way of achieving that.”

This article first appeared in the May/June issue of INCLEAN magazine out now!

Read the original article here. 

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