Summary & Reader Respons (Draft 1)

GERMii’s article “How tech can ease the cleaning industry’s manpower crunch” (2021) informs the public about a GERMii project that aims to investigate the trends that will affect public cleanliness. GERMii and SoftBank Robotics collaborated to develop Whiz, a commercial floorcare AI-powered cleaning robot, automated cleaning enables cleaners to focus on tasks that benefit people. Whiz automatically avoids collisions and sends operators "real-time data and alerts," making supervisors comfortable even with minimal supervision, organizations can study data collected by robots and spot trends to enhance workflows. An ultraviolet light (UV-C) concentrated laser beam can eliminate diseases, viruses, and bacteria using GERMii technology. Whiz and this function are being combined. Whiz's UV-C light module is placed close to the ground to eliminate Covid-19, fungi, and bacteria quickly. This can be used with soft flooring such as carpets. As customers value cleanliness more, organizations must adapt and increase service capacity, efficacy, and efficiency. Staff training and deploying cutting-edge tools are the answers to achieving these objectives. The main motives for developing cleaning robots were to improve people's lives. Such as assisting people who are unable to clean their own homes, eliminating Covid-19, fungi, and germs, and cleaning the area in which they are found.

Daily lives are greatly affected by pandemics and other such events. The most recent pandemic outbreak, COVID-19, dramatically impacted people's day-to-day lives on a global scale. (Lerman, 2020). This time around, the pandemic is accelerating the trend toward automation, as demonstrated by robots. This time, the goal is to eliminate viruses and minimize human interaction due to the potential harm to public health, not simply to have robots perform human tasks more successfully. The movement is especially noticeable in stadiums, public transit, and airport terminals. (Ruan, 2021). Due to their potential and advantages in the battle against COVID-19, autonomous robotic systems will generally be suitable solutions for a range of COVID-19-related problems. This is brought on by the robots' immunity to illness. Additionally, they have simple access to places that are challenging for people to reach. (Beddington, 2022). Cleaning robots are a wonderful aid to those who are too busy, disabled, unwell, or lazy to clean because they have a robot to assist them in areas like toilet, dishwasher, and mopping and vacuuming the floor. (Roborock, 2021)

Robotic cleaners are efficient and reasonably priced. They are always accessible and considerably less expensive than housekeepers. The device can be configured to clean precisely as needed and requires little maintenance. You only need to sometimes empty the container or switch out the bag. (Balakrishnan, 2017). Imagine being able to plan maintenance, increase uptime, access troubleshooting with a simple click, and remotely monitor and supervise all cleaning processes. (So, 2020). The robotic cleaner has greatly advanced in recent years. Robot cleaners are no longer a luxury item, but rather an affordable, practical home appliance due to advancements in hardware and software, such as self-emptying containers, that were previously unthinkable.

 

(KENT RO SYSTEM, 2019). Some limitations of cleaning robots include their short battery life, the potential for running out of power while cleaning, and lengthy charging times. Ineffective cleaning robots can't get to the corners of the house, where most dust and filth collect. It will be noisy while cleaning the region. Finally, it is crucial to regularly empty the container or replace the bag if you have a little cleaning robot and if you have furry creatures who shed a lot. (Treuen, 2022). Manual cleaning is more thorough than robotic cleaning. You may be disappointed if you expect your robot to completely clean your home of dust and debris. (Valet Maids, n.d.). Planning for cleaning most of today's robot cleaners isn’t intelligent enough to avoid every obstacle in their way. This means you will need to keep your home organized before the robot starts cleaning. (Power Tools, n.d.). Purchasing new parts could be costly. Although most models come with a warranty, it's common for them to exclude wear and tear from frequent use. Repairing a worn-out or damaged robotic cleaning device can be quite costly. (Bradley, 2015). When the robot loses power, it is programmed to return to its recharge site. It usually works perfectly, but every now and then, the robot gets lost or becomes stuck.

 

In conclusion, cleaning robots today do more than just get rid of Covid-19, fungi, and germs, they also clean the area in which they are stationed and help with cleaning tasks, freeing up cleaners to focus on jobs that can only be done by humans, like deep cleaning particular areas, comprehending special requests, understanding human emotion, and coming up with creative solutions. Additionally, it benefits people who are unable to clean their homes on their own because of a disability, overwork, or simple laziness. Since some robots are excessively noisy, have short battery lives, can't reach corners, or need regular container or bag changes if a pet sheds a lot of furs, it's not yet ideal. However, as time passes, cleaning robots will improve steadily thanks to hardware and software advancements like previously unthinkable self-emptying containers.

References

GERMii. (2021). How tech can ease the cleaning industry’s manpower crunch. Govinsider. https://govinsider.asia/future-of-work/how-tech-can-ease-the-cleaning-industrys-manpower-crunch-robots-germii/

Lerman, R. (2020). Robot cleaners are coming, this time to wipe up your coronavirus germs. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/09/08/robot-cleaners-surge-pandemic/

Ruan, K, Wu, Z, & Xu, Q. (2021). Smart cleaner: A new autonomous indoor disinfection robot for combating the COVID-19 pandemic. MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/2218-6581/10/3/87/htm

Beddington, E. (2022). VAC to the future! Can robot mops and self-cleaning Windows get us out of housework for ever?. the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/mar/03/can-robot-mops-self-cleaning-windows-make-housework-redundant

Roborock. (2021). Top 10 Advantages of Using a Robotic Vacuum Cleaner. https://us.roborock.com/blogs/blog/top-10-advantages-of-using-a-robotic-vacuum-cleaner-1#:~:text=Robotic%20vacuum%20cleaners%20are%20economical,container%20from%20time%20to%20time.

KENT RO SYSTEM. (2019). Why do you need to avoid using robotic vacuum cleaner. https://www.kent.co.in/blog/reasons-to-avoid-buying-a-robot-vacuum-cleaner/

Balakrishnan, T. (2017). How robot cleaners are changing the image of the cleaning industry. Eco-Business. https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/how-robot-cleaners-are-changing-the-image-of-the-cleaning-industry/

So, A. (2020). How to get the most out of (or into) your robot vacuum. WIRED. https://www.wired.com/story/surprising-tips-for-your-robot-vacuum/

Treuen, J. (2022). Should you buy a robot vacuum? We reveal the pros and cons. CHOICE. https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/laundry-and-cleaning/vacuum-cleaners/articles/should-you-buy-a-robot-vacuum-pros-and-cons

Valet Maids. (n.d.). Pros and cons of robot vacuum cleaners. https://valetmaids.com/pros-and-cons-of-robot-vacuum-cleaners/

Power Tools. (n.d.). The advantages and disadvantages of robotic vacuum cleaners. https://tools.gretah.com/robotic-vacuums/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-robotic-vacuum-cleaners/

Bradley, T. (2015). Pros And Cons Of Using A Robot Vacuum. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonybradley/2015/12/22/pros-and-cons-of-using-a-robot-vacuum/?sh=3bf10e9e4ac4