But what was the purpose of tonight? My colleagues from the OKIN Idea team are here for the last day of testing the robot before handing it over to the client. And I, on behalf of the HR department, want to get acquainted with the robot because we are looking for colleagues who are willing to work with robots as part of the cleaning process. Because as mentioned in the cobotization article, it is a collaborative robot where both the robot and the operator itself are equally important. Therefore, I wanted to experience for myself how to work with such a robot.
But let's go back to the beginning, how we found ourselves in the underground garage. If a client expresses interest in robotic cleaning, they can take advantage of the so-called demo testing to see the robot in action right on their own premises. This was also the case for us. Prior to this visit, I didn't realize what was involved in putting a robot into operation. The colleagues first have to map the entire garage area, including obstacles. For example, if there are parts of the garage where the robot is not supposed to go, they just build a virtual wall. Or it is also possible to increase its performance in certain sections of the garage. After this initial setup, the robot's automatic mode is started and the robot is monitored to see if it is working as it should and to fine-tune its operation. All of this is done at night, when the garage is closed and the robot can work undisturbed. The clear advantage is that with the opening of the barrier in the morning, a clean and tidy space awaits visitors.
However, testing the robot resulted in several sleepless nights for OKIN Idea colleagues, who walked 16,000 steps a night to ensure that the robot was working properly and was then ready to be handed over to the client. I guess they prefer not to count the number of coffees and coca cola they drank. 🙂
But let's get down to business. First I tested the driving abilities of the robot, tried all the speeds and turns in a limited space. Perhaps the only drawback was the height of the garage ceiling in general, where I, at 183 cm and standing on the rear platform of the robot, had to be very careful about my head.
After circling a few rounds in the garage and trying out different cleaning programs, the robot needed to be prepared for the night shift and cleaned properly. With the support of my colleagues, I backed up to the sink in the utility room, pulled on a pair of rubber gloves and set about cleaning. After draining the dirty water, the bottom brushes had to be removed, cleaned and reattached, while the so-called collection basket was rinsed. My colleagues know from experience that robots designed for garages cleaning must have a pre-sweeping function, as there are often items on the garage floor that one would not expect to find there. You can find almost anything from wet wipes to various forms of hair elastics, but perhaps the most curious find was a pair of men's shorts. So a robot really has to be prepared for anything. Finally, it was necessary to wipe the robot's sensors, lets call them robot eyes. Then it was just a matter of sending it to the charging station, where it was simultaneously filled with water.
We then switched from manual mode to automatic mode and watched as the robot went on its regular garage cleaning journey. I was curious to see how it would react to any sudden obstacles, so I stepped in front of it at the last minute. The robot immediately reacted and stopped, thus passing the safety test.
I would like to add that in standard mode, the robot can be cleaned during normal working hours and then the robot just waits for the set hour when the garage is empty and it starts working. It can change dirty water for clean water on its own during night operation. In the morning, the operator then finds a clean garage and a robot that needs human care and attention at this very moment. It's like everything, if the robot is well taken care of, it will deliver quality service in the long run.
And who will look after the robot in the days, weeks and months to come? We offer clients two options. Either we supply trained staff as part of the service, or we train a person from the client's team. And that it's really not complicated, I hope my case has shown. In addition, through interaction with robots, employees gain valuable experience, will have an advantage in their professional development and will increase their flexibility to any changes in the job market. You can consider the robot as a bit like your own employee, who has the advantage of never being sick, never being late for work and always doing the same quality work. All it needs in return is the care of a good housekeeper.
It is said that after each event or visit it is the feeling that stays with you. And I can say that today's cooperation with the robot was a great experience for me and I will remember it with a positive feeling. I hope that I was able to convey at least a little bit of this experience to you.