Robotic Window Cleaners might at first take people back a little, after all, it isn’t something that many people would have really thought about.It is also not yet a service that professional window cleaning businesses like LaddersFree offer, but could it just be a matter of time before they do?
Robots, in general, aren’t really science fiction anymore. We are seeing them more and more as they are being used in everyday life, from chopping vegetables in restaurant kitchens, helping the elderly get out of bed, fighting crime, distributing medicines to patients, surveillance and in recent years in the home, for example cutting the grass.
Robot vacuum cleaners are already commercially available, they haven’t quite gone mainstream yet (with some possible exceptions) but they are growing in popularity. Robotic window cleaners could easily be next. In fact, that isn’t quite the truth because they have actually already arrived!
Unless you are really into robots or window cleaning then you probably don’t stay up to date on the latest innovations into robot window cleaning. But let’s take a closer look at the technology, where it is now, how its evolved and how it works.
Robot Window Cleaners
There are actually more robot window cleaners available than you might think. But unlike the Roomba vacuum cleaner, none have really got their name out there into the public domain. If someone sees a robot vacuum cleaner at work they might be a little intrigued but since many people know about them it won’t get much attention.
A robot window cleaner, on the other hand, is likely to get some attention because at the moment they aren’t as common. Windoro the window cleaning robot was one of the first robot window cleaners to be developed. It was launched in 2011.
Designed and developed in Korea the Windoro robot window cleaner was designed for smaller homes/ shops and while it wasn’t fully automated I think it still counts as robotic window cleaner. Since 2011, there have been a number of robotic window cleaners that have followed a similar design principle to the Windoro.
The Alfawise S60 is arguably one of the most popular robot window cleaners available today and it works in a similar manner to the Windoro. The Alfawise S60 is much more advanced though with its features including a remote control, an impressive Artificial Intelligence that learns the shape of your windows to clean them more efficiently, with pre-set behavioural patterns and much more.
Another name worth mentioning is ECOVACS Robotics. ECOVACS are a Chinese manufacturer that primarily focus on developing in-house robotic appliances. They have their own range of robotic vacuum cleaners known as the Deebot and a range of robotic window cleaners called Winbots.
The Winbot range of robotic window cleaner is actually surprisingly expansive and newer models are still being developed. It might be a more luxury appliance and not something you will usually see in the average household but Winbots are certainly one of the more popular robotic window cleaners available today.
The latest Winbot, the Winbot X, features advanced suction fan technology to help keep it secure on the windows, improved sensors, a remote control, visual and audio communication so it can alert people when needed and built-in cleaning modes.
Many of these robotic window cleaners follow a similar design in that they are usually small, square-shaped and designed to run up and down windows. Some have more advanced artificial intelligence or a more impressive design but it can’t be denied many of them seem quite similar at first glance.
This isn’t a bad thing though as don’t most appliances look quite similar when you think about it?
What Does The Future Hold?
So, why aren’t they really mainstream yet? Why aren’t we seeing robot window cleaners everywhere? This is mainly down to the limitations of the technology. Many commercially available robotic window cleaners can usually only go so high and last so long. The usually high price puts most people off.
Safety is also a concern. Commercial Window Cleaning companies can’t really risk a robotic window cleaning machine falling from an office block onto someone’s head. But with more advanced machines being built year on year, it is safe to say that robotic window cleaners are going to only get more common in years to come.
Having an automated robotic window cleaner routinely cleaning your windows will potentially reduce the amount of money that large businesses with a lot of windows spend on a hiring a window cleaning service provider. However, that doesn’t mean the traditional window cleaning methods will completely die out either. There are always going to be people who prefer the older more traditional window cleaning methods and until the technology can safely and effectively replicate the quality service of a professional window cleaner there will always be a demand for both robots and humans.
