February 22, 2007 Robots have begun their inevitable march into our environment and a noteworthy incursion of recent times is the IV800 developed by floor care innovator Intellibot Robotics. Introduced last March, Intellibot’s IV800 is designed for large carpeted or hard surface hallways in convention centers, hotels, hospitals, office buildings and other facilities that get heavy traffic and must frequently be cleaned to a high standard. Using onboard computers and ultrasonic sonar sensors, the robotic vacuum requires only about 25 minutes of operator attention per eight-hour shift, reducing labor costs by up to 85 percent while increasing cleaning quality and consistency. This frees the operator to do other, higher value cleaning tasks.
An IV800 was recently added to the cleaning department at the Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino. “It used to take four staff members two days to clean the site using a conventional vacuum,” said Ahmed Ait-Lahcen, Barona’s director of housekeeping. “Using the robot, we finish in a few hours with one supervisor, while our cleaning crew focuses on other tasks. The robot has improved our efficiency, quality control and level of guest service standards.”
