RaceTrac, a US-based convenience store chain, has introduced autonomous floor-scrubbing robots from at some of its store locations.
It is hoped the autonomous cleaning collaborative robot (cobot), Cobi 18, will improve the wellbeing of both guests and employees by supporting workers with repetitive cleaning work through reduced physical strain.
The deployment of robots is intended to free up staff’s time to focus on other areas.
According to the robot’s developer, the cobot’s compact design makes it well-suited for tight aisles and complex store layouts, with a combination of sensor technology and route mapping technology enabling it to navigate next to glass and windows and detect when cooler doors are open.
The solution has been brought into RaceTrac stores through a Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) model.
“Leveraging innovation is a key component of RaceTrac’s mission to make people’s lives simpler and more enjoyable” said Mark Reese, the vice president of Operations, maintenance and store support at RaceTrac.
“Implementing Cobi in our Travel Center store locations allows us to put our people first while increasing the overall cleanliness of stores.
“Leveraging technology to provide cleaner stores and free up our team members to assist guests in finding ‘whatever gets them going,’ is just another step RaceTrac is excited to take to make sure that every visit is a great experience.”
According to RaceTrac, the integration of Cobi 18 greatly increases the efficiency of many daily cleaning routines.
The robot was designed with ease of use in mind, with a straightforward user interface intended to make it a simple and repeatable solution for consistent cleaning in a 24/7 environment.
What’s more, heightened levels of cleanliness are hoped to help the stores minimise the spread of contaminants to create a healthier environment for both guests and employees.
