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It’s no secret that the work-from-home revolution isn’t panning out quite the way many workers had hoped. Since the end of the Covid-19 Public Health Emergency declaration in May of this year, return-to-office mandates have come down the pipeline at breakneck speed, leaving employees at both large and small companies reeling. And despite protests, “return to office” looks like it’s here to stay as companies aim to rebuild collaboration within previously dispersed teams and cities try to recoup tax revenue lost during the years when office buildings sat vacant.

 

Given this renewed zest for office life among corporate leaders (and the reality that workers are now streaming back into office buildings whether they like it or not), we thought it was worth taking a look at the numerous helpful roles that service robots can play in an office setting.

 

Receptionists and other administrative professionals who command pride of place in office entryways do much, much more than simply greeting and directing visitors. They usually man the phones and email inboxes, take detailed messages, handle mail and arrange for shipping, and coordinate complex calendars, among other varied tasks. One thing they don’t need during their busy days is the responsibility of repeatedly stepping away from their desks to guide visitors to meeting rooms or other locations around the office. 

 

Luckily, robotic technology exists to take on this repetitive and disruptive job. The AI-powered TemiBoT can handle an entire office’s or building’s visitor services and reception operations, with the ability to guide people to different areas of the facility, provide both live and pre-set guided tours to guests and new hires, and make visitor check-in a breeze. The BoT’s inherent flexibility allows it to easily integrate with a business’s existing IT infrastructure. Advanced sensors and camera technology mean that TemiBoT can greet and guide all day without ever getting in the way. And the BoT’s combination of facial recognition and voice response technology allows it to interact with people in an intuitive, helpful manner.

 

Administrative professionals and other office workers often find themselves tasked with replenishing supplies, lugging boxes, and delivering mail or other documents around the office multiple times each day. While these are typically light and sporadic errands, they can add up to a lot of lost time each week. In order to help workers stay focused on higher-value endeavors, employers can look to courier and delivery robots to tackle the back-and-forth.

 

BellaBoT and KettyBoT are great at delivering items around an office. Capable of carrying 80 lbs and 40 lbs, respectively, these two delivery whizzes can be easily mapped to an office or building environment, and are ready to take supplies, documents, or even food and beverages wherever they’re dispatched. Both BoTs are highly interactive. BellaBoT has numerous expressions and responses set within a cute cat face. KettyBoT has a large front display screen for photos, videos or special announcements. Both come equipped with “Birthday Mode” to play special music and make staff birthday celebrations that much more fun. And BellaBoT’s four high-capacity infrared detection trays make the BoT especially adept at helping out as a catering assistant during office events, client meetings, or even at on-site cafes.

 

When an office is in need of a secure way to deliver sensitive materials and documents, they can look to the mighty FlashBoT. This secured autonomous robot courier carries 64 lbs and keeps contents safe within its enclosed chamber, only able to be opened by a unique password sent to the intended recipient via text each time it’s dispatched. Surprisingly, it also comes equipped with UV-C disinfection technology within its chamber, which means that items such as laptops, tablets, or even cups and cutlery can be sanitized by the BoT enroute. And unlike other robots, FlashBoT has the ability to integrate with elevators and automatic doors, making it an ideal delivery solution for large, multistory office spaces.

 

Dedicated janitorial staff, whether full time or contract, are the backbone of any facility or office space. In a world that’s weathered a pandemic, ensuring that facilities are regularly cleaned and sanitized is essential to employee wellbeing and peace of mind. But with rampant labor shortages in many sectors, finding and keeping reliable cleaning staff can be a challenge. And if staffing isn’t an issue, what about time? 

 

Regular floor cleaning is one of the most important, yet time consuming, aspects of office and facility maintenance. When an office is used daily, the assault to the floors never stops. Dirty or unkempt floors immediately stand out to visitors and employees alike, calling into question the competence and reliability of an entire business. Luckily, robotic floor cleaning technology has really come into its own in recent years, offering facilities an easy, cost-effective way to achieve clean floors 24/7.  

 

Autonomous machines like the CC1 and CC3 clean floors to a very high standard, with little-to-no human involvement apart from occasional maintenance. Suitable for low-pile carpet and most hard floors, the CC1 can sweep, vacuum, mop, and scrub with incredible efficiency. And when paired with an optional workstation, the BoT can self-charge as well as empty itself of trash, dirt and used water, then replenish itself to keep on cleaning. 

 

The larger CC3 is an industrial-grade autonomous floor scrubber for hard floors. Capable of cleaning an astonishing 20,000 square feet per hour, this BoT keeps floors in high-traffic areas gleaming round the clock. It also performs self-maintenance using an included workstation. Both robots keep track of their cleaning and provide detailed reports on schedule or when prompted, so there’s never any question about when or how well an area was cleaned. And because both are built with advanced object detection and avoidance technology, they can safely operate during business hours without getting in the way. 

 

Aside from reliable, impeccable floor cleaning, facilities and offices that invest in autonomous floor cleaners are likely to enjoy other benefits. Dedicated cleaning staff or others tasked with those duties are able to spend more time on higher-value work such as detailed cleaning, surface disinfection, or building maintenance when they don’t have to spend hours operating floor cleaning equipment. Floor cleaning robots can also reduce labor costs because they clean more efficiently and quickly than their human counterparts, don’t require benefits or workers’ compensation, and don’t need time off or call out sick.

 

The fact is, most people work to live instead of the other way around. No doubt one reason for the return-to-office pushback is the idea that spending all day in an office can be a bit dull and full of repetitive, mundane tasks. Advances in robotic technology, specifically service robots, promise to eliminate some of that repetition, helping human workers manage the mundane so they can focus on engaging, rewarding work. 

 

If you’d like to explore how robots can be of service to your business or facility, contact us to learn more.