A remotely operated cleaning robot from Tau faced a difficult first visit to an apartment building, struggling with outdoor steps, overheating-related interruptions and a monitoring-device failure. Despite those problems, Tau provided strong customer service, and a later visit went more smoothly, with the robot successfully cleaning the kitchen and bathroom.
Tau’s cleaning robot struggles with stairs
The cleaning robot arrived at the building in a blue minivan, assisted by Weinziel and another Tau employee. Its first challenge came immediately: eight steps led to the main entrance.
As Weinziel and the robot approached the building, the robot struggled to climb the steps. It moved up as if it were drunk, with each successful step followed by the risk of losing its progress. Still, it never completely lost its footing.
Weinziel later explained that Tau controls the robots remotely from its headquarters. The robots can therefore move awkwardly at times, while short signal delays can affect their coordination.
“The amount of work and time that goes into just optimizing things like timing and connectivity is huge,” she said.
Remote control and heat caused further problems
Inside the building, the robot was unable to manage the carpeted stairs leading to the apartment. Weinziel had to drag herself up the final few steps.
The robot also stalled several times while cleaning. Weinziel attributed the interruptions to the unseasonably hot weather, which she believed caused the robot to overheat. However, one of her colleagues told her that the heat had actually shut down a device used by the human controller to monitor the robot’s progress inside the apartment.
Without that remote assistance, the robot could not continue cleaning. It and Weinziel left before the scheduled visit ended. During an earlier visit in September, Weinziel or another Tau representative had stayed with the robot throughout the appointment, but she said that was no longer necessary.
A better second cleaning visit
Despite the disappointing first visit, Tau’s customer service was responsive. Weinziel emailed an immediate apology, compensated for the appointment and offered another home visit, excluding the amount allocated for data privacy. That offer changed after she learned that the customer was a journalist.
A second cleaning was scheduled about a month later, following several trips around town. The robot still moved with a drunken, staggering gait, but it climbed the stairs with little assistance.
During its hour inside the apartment, the robot did an admirable job cleaning the kitchen, although the stove was not used. It also handled the bathroom, which was described as the most impressive part of its performance and saved the most dreaded cleaning task.
The head of the toilet-cleaning wand fell off three times. Each time, it could be reattached by prodding it with the handle until the parts met at the correct angle.
Source: www.technologyreview.com