Communications of the ACM
Students’ Lofty Goal Is Clear
Rice University senior Andria Remirez shows the WashBOT teams device, part of an ongoing project to create a robotic system for cleaning recessed windows in high-rise buildings.
Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University
Rice University students are developing WashBOT, a multiyear robotics project to automate the process of cleaning recessed windows in buildings that currently present problems for both human and machine-based washers.
"We decided to focus on recessed windows because there’s nothing in the market that cleans them right now," says Rice student Julia Bleck.
The Rice system soaps the window with a sponge-like mop on a horizontal track and follows it with a squeegee. "We’ve had to do a lot of integration between the attachment system and the cleaning system," says Rice student Erin O'Malley.
The system is equipped with sensors to stop the brush at the end of the glass, rotate the mechanism, and move it back across the window.
"We tried to make the robot as close to what a window washer would do: spray water, wipe it down with a sponge, and use a squeegee," says Rice student Andria Remirez. "This is a problem with a large scope that usually requires a company, several years, and a lot of funding to solve," notes Rice professor Fathi Ghorbel.
From Rice University
View Full Article
Abstracts Copyright © 2013 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
No entries found