BGSU employing robots to help clean floors on campus

Cobi unit, autonomous scrubber, ICE Cobotics, robot, floor cleaner, February 23, 2023, Bell2023, BGSU Photo by Craig Bell

From BGSU OFFICE OF MARKETING & BRAND STRATEGY

Extending its commitment to adopting highly sophisticated technology, Bowling State Green University continues to embrace leading-edge autonomous solutions and announces the deployment of ICE Cobotics’ Cobi 18, a collaborative robot, on campus.

Cobi 18, an autonomous floor scrubber, is the latest addition to the University’s lineup of cobotic solutions across campus, increasing cleanliness and campus health while enhancing employee experiences. Adding cobots – collaborative robots – like Cobi 18 allows BGSU to focus on its mission for the public good by supporting public health and custodial staff well-being. Cobi 18 will work alongside custodial staff, not replace them, and take on the repetitive and stress-inducing task of floor cleaning.

While Cobi cleans the floors, custodians are freed up to focus on more detailed and critical tasks, ensuring campus is clean, safe and supports the health and well-being of students, faculty and staff. Improving the cleanliness and health of campus helps to positively impact the greater community. 

In addition, bringing on Cobi 18 provides BGSU with another way to focus on its commitment to using cutting-edge technology and to be a leading adopter of automation and technology in higher education. Autonomous solutions like Cobi 18 elevate campus and are widely welcomed by today’s students.

Cobi 18’s compact size and sophisticated navigation system make it ideal for the University’s Bowen-Thompson Student Union, one of the busiest buildings on campus, one of several where Cobi is currently being deployed.

Due to its easy-to-use interface, Cobi can be deployed by custodial staff within minutes and left to safely clean floors, navigating heavy foot traffic and obstacles. Additionally, it is an inexpensive way for BGSU to support custodial staff as it starts at $15 a day.  

“BGSU is excited to partner with ICE Cobotics to bring cutting-edge autonomous cleaning equipment to campus. This partnership, which is the first of its kind among Ohio public universities, allows Campus Operations to better maintain clean and welcoming facilities,” said Eric Heilmeier, director of Campus Services. “While the autonomous units are cleaning, our staff can focus on other critical aspects of our work, ultimately providing a higher level of service and keeping BGSU facilities healthier and safer for the public.”

“We are proud to partner with BGSU as they continue to adopt innovative cleaning technology like Cobi 18. The implementation of Cobi will support BGSU in their commitment to deliver exceptional cleaning and maintenance services across their community,” said Mike DeBoer, president of ICE Cobotics N.A. “Because Cobi is compact, can be implemented in a variety of spaces and safely navigates real-world obstacles, it is the perfect choice for a busy campus like BGSU.”

ABOUT ICE COBOTICS

Founded in 2011, ICE Cobotics is an innovative floor-cleaning equipment company with offices in North America, Europe and Asia. ICE Cobotics develops and offers a range of autonomous and intelligent solutions to help its clients to achieve superior cleaning outcomes, greater efficiency, and a happier workforce.

To learn more about ICE Cobotics visit: https://us.icecobotics.com/

Follow ICE Cobotics on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ice-cobotics/