Floor-cleaning robot in Japanese office building can ride the elevator, leave early
By Laura June 
posted December 5th 2008 11:32AM
posted December 5th 2008 11:32AM
It might not look like much, but this little... er, big guy is a robot recently developed and employed by Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd and Sumitomo Corporation in Osaka City, Japan to clean their floors. Now we've seen plenty of service robots that love to clean, some even professionally, but this one, operated by Reibi, is especially full-featured. Based on a robot developed in Tokyo in 2001, the updated version has laser sensors for detecting and avoiding obstacles. It's also been outfitted with light transmission devices which allow it to communicate with the elevators (also modified), so that it can travel between floors all on its own. As an icing on this deliciously fastidious cake, the robot can be equipped with cameras that record its entire shift, just to make sure its not falling asleep on the job. Should it ever miss a crumb on the floor or something, we also assume that it can fire itself, head out for a drinking binge, and spiral into an inevitable, lonely depression.
"Should it ever miss a crumb on the floor or something, we also assume that it can fire itself, head out for a drinking binge, and spiral into an inevitable, lonely depression."
That one made my day !
That's it, am moving to japan! They have all the fun toys!
Can't figure out if this is creepier than my middle school janitor Mr. Moran... Not sure which one would cause more 4th grade nightmares...
I'm sure you would cause more 4th grade nightmares.
Is that what's passing as "wit" these days? Man the internet is getting dull..
Your mom.
Or "That's what she said."
Or "I see what you did right there."
And the worst thing is, you don't know whether you'll get high/low ranked if you say it because there is absolutely NO pattern.
I'd say the robot was less creepy. You know, less chance of 'bad' touches.
posting just to get ranked up is kinda sad.
@ Mobius
haha, looks like the pattern just bit you in the ass
Aww, no links to the urinal-polishing elephant bot? He was such a good time!
I'm more a fan of the self-cleaning toilet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebJNjKkKxso
Can it take 14 smoking breaks a day and bitch about refilling the coffee machines like the guy the cleans the office I work in?
If you guys drink coffee made by the Janitor, that is one nasty a$$ office...
So the guy finished up cleaning up poop in all the bathrooms, then goes out for a smoke, then proceeds to change the filter in the coffee maker...
Yum Yum...
The exact reason i don't drink coffee at the office. I'm rarely in there anyway, mostly I'm on the road.
Yes, and it also is legally entitled to 3 hours leave to donate blood.
I think it's creepier that you knew your creepy middle school janitor's name.
Oh... so this is that whole comment system fiasco you guys complain about? Ridiculous.
This was meant for patriotsn1.
no he was just THAT creepy...
I heard MIT tried hiring one of these but it kept solving the math problems left on the hallway boards. Poor robot's been in therapy every since.
not entirely special...the pharmaceutical company merck has a small fleet of robots that deliver mail to every employee in the building. they can sense if someone or something is in their path and can also use the elevators to move between floors...this thing just looks a little prettier
I can't believe no one said it yet...
I for one welcome our floor-cleaning robot overlords
I for one welcome our night shift working robot overlords?
Will it blend?
Will it play Crysis?
I for one welcome...
"Will it blend?"
You kidding? You will either need a gigantic blender, or blend it in pieces..
"Should it ever miss a crumb on the floor or something, we also assume that it can fire itself, head out for a drinking binge, and spiral into an inevitable, lonely depression."
As long as they don't try to make a commercial out of it, we'll be OK.
Now that's funny.... I can see a big budget beer commercial... beer flowing everywhere..... robot cleaning like crazy..... "This mop's made for you!!"
My wife always told me about a similar robot at the Law School Admissions Counsel office that delivers mail to everyone. She couldn't get over how cute it was when it would call the elevator and wait for it.
this may come back to haunt me when robots have civil rights, but I am NOT holding an elevator for a frakking toaster.
"Arthur, meet Marvin."
I gladly welcome our floor cleaning, binge drinking buddies, i mean overlords...
will it play doom?
It will "play" doom...with the optional BFG 9000 add-on. Just don't expect it to be friendly.
Robots travelling in elevators? Finally!!!!
I am excited, no sarcasm.
That is SO SWEET. I was thinking about why they don't have those small robots clean the floors of the office building and I concluded that they are to small and people might "trip" on them.
But this thing is tall enough to be like... "Yeah I am not getting close to you"
They should make it go 20mph and say "Whatch your toes!" when it goes past people... I'd buy one then... Maybe they could also program it to disguise itself as a watercooler and then scare the crap out of thirsty people! What can I say, I find other's discomfort amusing.
Eeeextermiiiinate!
walllllll eeeee ? foreign containment!
M-O has competition.
So when will they have a model to replace the dysfunctional 'bots left over from the dotcom bust? You know, the ones working as managers at BK, McDs, and Starbucks. Next to go: the pale, pierced people (PPPs) working behind the counters. Their mental ability and limited motions should be fairly simple to automate, for the PPP 'tude just paint them black and make the "eyes" glow steadily.
Ah, now I understand. I was wondering why I saw that thing making photocopies of an invite for a birthday party. Inappropriate use of company resources, if you ask me. Maybe I'm just bitter because I wasn't invited.
so it has a camera? i wonder if how many office sex scandal will land on the internet because of this robot.
At least when it turns evil and kills all humans, it can clean up after itself....
Oh noes! Skynet!
just replacing the jobs of the lower class....
pretty soon there will be none left, all replaced by robots
Hospital robots have been navigating obstacles and using elevators for years. See the old HelpMate robot, for example.
Yes, but can I hide inside to escape a meeting?
Dōmo arigatō misutā Robotto
Mata au hi made
Dōmo arigatō misutā Robotto
Himitsu wo shiritai
Kilroy! I am Kilroy!
"the updated version has laser sensors for detecting and avoiding obstacles"
this means the previous version of the robot hit every single obstacle on its way?
lol!