The Consumer Technology Association, also known as CES, holds a yearly conference to highlight the achievements and innovative news of the electronics industry. According to their website, their 2016 conference hosted almost 180,000 people from 81% of the world’s countries in their 2.47 million net square feet of exhibit space.
At ServiceMaster TBS, we are highly intrigued by robotics and their introduction to the commercial cleaning industry. As you may know, there are currently a number of home cleaning robots like Roomba and Neato Botvac that move around the floor and essentially automate vacuuming for you. We are beginning to see more robotic cleaning equipment entering the commercial cleaning industry too. One of these new robots is Neo, a self-driving floor scrubber. Utilizing these robots to supplement your existing cleaning crew can ultimately increase productivity and reduce the need for human labor. These new devices are super smart with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and algorithms that can be programmed to your facility and feature detailed reporting on job performance.
Within the cleaning industry we’re constantly on the lookout for the latest in technology and surfacing trends to simplify tasks. As global demand for this technology accelerates those who adapt the quickest will be able to take great advantage and pass the savings along to their clients. CES 2107 debuted many robots that this year, while none of them were geared towards commercial cleaning, we were still very excited to see the new robots coming to market. The Robotics Marketplace featured robots that were intelligent, mobile controlled, reactive, and more. As these robots become more intelligent and agile they will become more prevalent and accepted within society.
Some of our favorite robot presentations included:
- Hanson Robotics introduced the first commercial robot with emotive features. This very life-like robot interacts with tablets to provide education through answering questions on famous people, weather, and more. This robot even has the ability to recognize individual voices.
- BTECH Robotics introduced another humanoid robot, known as Lynx, which is set to hit the market this spring. This device is video-enabled and works with Amazon Alexa to provide music, planning, video, email, photography, shopping, and more.
- Another home helper presented was Kuri, designed by Mayfield, a startup fully owned and funded by Bosch. This product was designed to have a life-like personality and shows emotions through its “eyes” and sounds. It has the ability to alert you with pictures or videos of movement or guests in your home, stream music via Bluetooth, and more.
- LG presented multiple robots to improve the way humans live. Some of these have the power to provide customized solutions based on temperature and air quality, take orders, and read recipes. One exciting new product will help provide gate information, communicate in multiple languages, and act as an escort in select airports. Another airport helper, and one of our favorite products, is a smart vacuum which features a large-capacity dust canister and multiple brushes and motors.
- A Chinese based company, Bubblelab, featured its Robotic Barista Concept which even created foam art. Bosch, Aubo, and Denso also showcased robots with similar capabilities.
- The AvatarMind iPal is designed with many applications in mind. Children enjoy that the product provides educational services and entertainment through stories, games, and more. The elderly can benefit from the ability to set medication reminders and communicate to emergency services. Retail stores and hospitality providers can use this robot to communicate product news and provide customer service.
- Lego presented its Lego-Boost kits which will work with select Lego kits that are already available in stores to make them motorized or motion-sensitive. We know this will be a very popular product and will inspire the next generation to explore the capabilities of AI.
