Japanese conglomerates Fuji Heavy Industries, Sumitomo and Subaru are developing a new robot [JP, PDF] that’s able to clean office buildings autonomously. The yet to be named robot (pictured on the left) is sized at just 50x45x80cm, meaning it’s able to maneuver even along narrow paths. Its functions include vacuuming the floors and picking up garbage.
The robot weighs 95kg and is powered by a 24V battery that has a battery life of 2.5 hours. It can travel as fast as 30 meters per minute, avoiding obstacles along the way through built-in sensors and a laser system. The cleaning robot you see on the right of the picture is an earlier model from last year.
The companies plan to commercialize the new robot by the end of next year. It will then likely be priced at between $35,000 and $46,000, with the companies hoping to sell 50 units in the first twelve months.
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