Whether you’re running your own cleaning business or looking to add an additional level of efficiency for your existing staff, there’s no doubt that a commercial robot vacuum offers a lot of benefits. These automated machines can do the heavy lifting, freeing up your employees to focus on more important tasks, such as meeting with clients or handling customer service inquiries.
It’s easy to get excited about this new technology, but the cost of a robot vacuum can be a deterrent for some businesses. Fortunately, there are some great deals on robotic cleaners on the market right now that will give you all the performance of a more expensive unit for much less.
How Do Robot Vacuums Know Where to Go?
Most people have seen robots vacuuming their homes, but how exactly do these self-navigating machines figure out where they’re going? The answer is that most robovacs have several sensors that help them navigate their environments. These sensors can detect obstacles, determine how far the robot is from a wall or other furniture, and even allow the user to set up virtual no-go lines that restrict the robot’s movement.
Some of the most advanced commercial robot vacuums use mapping capability to further enhance their navigation abilities. Models that offer this feature can store a floor plan for more efficient cleaning and provide a history of the spaces it has already cleaned. This will prevent it from repeating the same areas over and over again, which can reduce the time required to perform a clean.
Mapping systems typically use a combination of gyro-, camera-, radar-, or laser (laser distance sensor or LDS) guided systems to map out their environments. They will then use this data to identify the best route through a space, which helps them avoid obstacles and clean areas that have already been cleaned. They can also store a single map for multiple rooms, making the process of switching between them a bit quicker.
While all of these systems are helpful, no robot vacuum can navigate flawlessly all the time. They will sometimes bump into furniture and other items, and they may get tangled up in cords. That’s why it is crucial to place furniture, appliances, and other objects away from the edges of your floors, as well as keep cords out of sight and out of reach.
Still, it’s a significant leap from random navigation to the precision offered by most mapping robots. As a result, they will save you a considerable amount of time and money by helping you to achieve a cleaner facility more efficiently. And if you’re concerned about the cost of a commercial robot vacuum, remember that it will pay for itself in the long run by saving you valuable time and money. It’s a smart investment that will keep your customers happy and your employees happy as well.