Robots to keep floors at Dubai Metro stations spic and span from next year 70% Savings for the RTA on costs for cleaning solutions

dubai — Robots will soon help keep the floors at Metro stations fresh and clean.

A four-foot, 375-kg, yellow scrubber-dryer, which is fully automated and environment-friendly, was unveiled by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) at the Gitex Technology Week on Sunday.

Mohammed Hassan Al Ameeri, RTA’s director at the rail maintenance department, told Khaleej

Times that a robot cleaner would be deployed at various stations for testing early next year.

“Our Metro stations come in various sizes and we need to scan the areas first and calibrate a preprogramme route before deploying the robot cleaners,” Al Ameeri said.

The robot cleaner is an autonomous scrubber-dryer distributed by the US-based company Diversey. It has intelligent programming working on “self-drive” mode, which means it can do its cleaning job without human intervention.

According to the manufacturer manual, it has spinning brushes to reach tight corners that can be used for mopping, sterilisation, and vacuuming.

The RTA said the robot cleaner requires minimum human intervention. It only needs to be filled with water and cleaning substances and switched on for a pre-programmed operation.

It is environment-friendly and will reduce water usage through the built-in water purification system. According to Diversey, water consumption can be reduced by up

76%

Water consumption reduced with the robot cleaner

to 76 per cent and the onboard chemical dosing system can save on cleaning solutions by up to 70 per cent.

The robot cleaner is also fast and efficient. Working at an optimal speed of 2km per hour, it can clean without breaks and can be immediately deployed without human supervision.

Moreover, it is safe to use. With less human interaction necessary, work-related injuries will also be reduced.

It has 21 sonars to ‘see’ its environment and one 2D Lidar (light detecting and ranging) that works in tandem with the sonar; eight optical sensors; and a touchscreen where different modes of operation can be set, including L-shaped movement, T-section, and crosssection.

No special training is required to operate the robot cleaner as it has an icon-based touchscreen that guides any user through all the functions, regardless of language or skill level.