New robotic scrubber cleans large areas completely autonomously

In logistics and industry, cleaning large areas is no easy task, both in terms of cost and work. Companies also want to keep costs as low as possible and still have problems finding specialized personnel. During an event at Fabriek Logistiek (Ghent), Kärcher launched the solution: the KIRA B 200 robotic scrubber drier. It can clean the floor completely independently: at night in an empty hall, but also during the day when employees and other means of transport are in the room.

With the KIRA B 200, Kärcher introduces a revolutionary robot that, thanks to large clean and dirty water tanks (200 l) and a cleaning width of up to 90 cm, is highly productive. This machine is also ready to use in no time, reducing the daily workload. To program a new route, users sit on the machine and travel the desired route. Once created, all routes can be run individually or combined in a so-called "routine. The calendar function allows cleaning tasks to be scheduled, allowing the KIRA B 200 to perform them without human intervention. The docking station allows the robotic scrubber to recharge its batteries and empty, clean and refill the tanks. The robot also checks for sufficient battery power and clean water to complete the programmed route. Intelligent, speed-dependent dosing of cleaning agents and long-lasting lithium batteries with 4 hours of autonomy guarantee efficient and sustainable work."

Safe cleaning in any situation

The new KIRA B 200 scrubber drier achieves a theoretical floor area performance of up to 4800 m²/hour in an empty hall, for example during the night. However, such machines are mostly used to clean during working hours. In doing so, they obviously have to take into account the presence of many workers and other, often unmanned transport systems on the shop floor. Therefore, the robot scrubber must be able to be controlled safely and certified. To do this, the robot uses a combination of LiDAR sensors and five cameras. The images are only processed in real time, not recorded.

There are several levels of automation. For less automated environments, the robotic scrubber offers an optional IO Box digital interface. This allows it to open and close shutters with simple commands. In fully automated environments, the robot can be connected to the infrastructure with the standardized VDA 5050 communication interface. Thus, priorities can be set between unmanned conveyor systems and the KIRA B 200 to keep work running smoothly.

Depending on the structure of the floor and the cleaning concept, this robotic scrubber has two different brush heads. Model KIRA BR 200 with roller and side brushes is suitable for rough surfaces and able to pick up coarse dirt such as wood shavings or pieces of paper. In turn, the KIRA B 200 is perfect for smooth surfaces thanks to a disc brush head.