If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool slob, as I am, you’ve probably daydreamed about having a Rosie-esque robot maid on hand to wash the dishes and vacuum the floor and clean up the cat puke. Now, someone is turning your dreams of android indentured servitude into a reality with Avidbots, a Canadian startup that’s developing “smart cleaning robots for the commercial cleaning market.”
The Avidbots will use laser mapping technology to construct an accurate map of your workplace or domicile before cleaning it. After drawing the map, the robots will plan an optimal cleaning “path” for maximum efficiency and so they’ll never miss a spot, thus saving countless mothers visiting their offspring’s college dorm rooms from anxiety attacks and an untold number of couples from breaking up.
So how does this work, exactly? The robots use “swarm communication” tactics to ensure that there’s no overlap in who’s cleaning what area: So, for instance, if one robot is acting as a scrubber, and another the sweeper, the sweeper will communicate to the scrubber that one area of the floor is being swept to notify the scrubber that he can now take over the area. It’s kind of like the system you developed to clean your bunk in summer camp before weekly inspection, except far more efficient and no one’s playing O-Town in the background. (Presumably).
Currently, the Avidbots seem to be designed more for commercial cleaning than personal use, so it might be a while before you can buy one to pick up after your slovenly ass. (You also probably can’t afford them: According to the Avidbots website, a set goes for a little more than $20K). But isn’t it nice to know that your apartment of the future will look a whole lot cleaner?
Screengrab via Avid BotsYouTube