Robot at THD in Hradec Králové: Cleaning no longer has to be just about people

A cleaning robot is the new powerful assistant for maintaining order at the Public Transport Terminal (THD) in Hradec Králové. The local employees have already named it; it's Bender. 

THD manager Jan Rezek saw the robot in action some time ago in a Prague supermarket. He immediately contacted the company that supplies the robots. „We have it set up so that the cleaning service that works here uses its own machine. However, that machine couldn't fit between the seats, which we have quite a lot of in the public transport hall, so it's not very suitable for cleaning all the nooks and crannies. Plus, a cleaning worker had to operate it. The new robot is programmed as we need it (it has the areas mapped out) and then cleans by itself,“ explains the THD manager about the new addition. 

For the spring and upcoming summer season, cleaning is currently scheduled for twice a day. The robot enters the hall area at 8:30 AM and 7:00 PM, when there are fewer people. As Jan Rezek adds, for the autumn and winter seasons, when passengers bring more water or snow on their shoes into the hall, it will operate as often as every two to three hours. The robot is capable of both dry and wet cleaning, so it can mop the floor by itself. It refills water and detergent from its docking station, and empties dirty water back into it. Assistance from a cleaning company employee is only needed once a day, when they open the robot and clean the screens and filters, or brushes. This takes about 15 minutes. Therefore, the new machine is not a replacement for a cleaning worker, but it has improved the quality of cleaning. The company used to clean the hall only in the evening. One person who cleans here daily can dedicate the saved time to cleaning in other areas of the extensive THD complex and outdoor relaxation zones.  

„We've had the robot since the beginning of March and are very satisfied with it. The first few days, for example, the collection brushes were literally covered in hair so much that we had to cut them out. We were surprised by how much dirt there was. It can really collect a lot in one shift. I can see through the app where it has driven. It doesn't miss any part,“ describes Jan Rezek, adding that thanks to modern technologies, it is safe for passengers. „It has LiDAR cameras and various sensors, it has an orange light flashing on it, so it monitors the area. It avoids passengers on its own, but it's also a big attraction for them, not just for children. If a seat is occupied, it avoids it and returns to it only when the passenger leaves. So far, it's proving to be ideal for us in terms of its size and functions. We are keeping up with the times,“ he adds.