When the tech fails


Technology is revolutionising the cleaning industry – but what happens when it goes wrong? Essity’s Stuart Hands looks at cases where technology falls short in terms of cleaning and hygiene requirements – and considers situations in which it is actually effective and useful.


The cleaning and hygiene industry – like so many other sectors – is going increasingly high-tech. It all began with the introduction of automatic taps and flush systems in public washrooms. These had two chief advantages: they helped to control water usage, and they minimised the risk of cross-contamination.


Then came the robots. Early versions emerged in the 1990s and were employed to autonomously vacuum or scrub large floor areas in commercial and institutional buildings. Sensors also became more sophisticated and were used increasingly in public washrooms where automatic dispensers were able to give out soap and paper at the wave of a hand.


With the advent of the smartphone in the 2000s, tech suddenly became much more accessible because everyone was now equipped with their own computer. This meant washroom supplies could be checked, cleaning routes could be mapped out, and equipment could be monitored remotely. The possibilities were endless and innovations abounded, but what happened when things went wrong?


In January 2022 it emerged that a robot vacuum cleaner had unaccountably made an escape bid from the Cambridge Travelodge where it was employed. The machine had been tasked with cleaning the ground floor carpets and had been programmed to sense when approaching the building’s threshold, but it failed to turn back. It left the hotel’s premises, eventually being found under a nearby hedge the following day.


While this runaway robot was considered sufficiently noteworthy to make the news, it was by no means an isolated case. Glitches in cleaning and hygiene technology have been quietly occurring all over the world since smart solutions were first introduced.


A notable example occurred in Nagasaki, Japan, where a hotel staffed almost entirely by robots – the Henn-na Hotel – opened in 2015. These machines were tasked with carrying out the majority of the cleaning, vacuuming, portering and reception duties. As an added attraction, every guest room was equipped with its own android personal concierge.


This futuristic concept understandably attracted a great deal of press attention, but then things started to go awry.


The robot cleaners and porters would frequently become stuck in corridors when trying to pass each other. The animatronic receptionists were unable to photocopy guests’ passports which meant humans were obliged to step in. The personal concierges would mistake the sound of snoring for commands, and would wake the guests frequently during the night to ask them what they wanted.


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In 2019 it was announced that the hotel had ‘sacked’ half its robot workforce and had drafted in humans to take over certain jobs.


Technology failures have also occurred in washroom management, sometimes on a dramatic scale. In 2014, 2000 ‘e-toilets’ were installed across India to save time and conserve water. The toilets had doors that opened and closed automatically and were self-cleaning, which meant they required little maintenance. However, within a few years most were standing idle due to low public usage, and a series of technical glitches.


Japan is famous for its high-tech toilets offering features such as mood lighting, heated seats, integral bidet, and built-in Bluetooth radio. However, concerns have been raised that these units might be vulnerable to hackers who could access the system remotely and close the lid, flush the toilet, or activate the bidet function while someone else is using the facility.


Similar security fears have been expressed about the latest ‘wellness toilets’ developed in the US and designed to track the user’s blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, and alcohol and caffeine intake. This data is sent to the user’s physician for analysis, but there are concerns that such sensitive information could be accessed by a third party en route.


Even robot cleaning machines could potentially be accessed remotely by hackers with criminal intent. At Interclean Amsterdam 2022, manufacturer Adlatus launched a robot that pixelates the images taken by the machine’s 3D camera to provide an extra level of security. Most robot machines use cameras to map out their immediate environment, but Adlatus claims this footage could be highly useful to criminals if, say, it contained details of an organisation’s banking processes or its security van arrival times.


There are plenty of ways in which technology can go wrong. However, on the up side, it has the potential to revolutionise cleaning and hygiene processes by producing higher standards, offsetting staff shortages, taking the heft out of onerous tasks and ensuring that no job is left undone. As the technology evolves, companies are rising to the challenges it creates and solving glitches along the way.


For example, the sensors in robots are becoming increasingly sophisticated to prevent collisions and mishaps. These sensors also allow robots to gauge when their batteries are running low so that they can take themselves off to the charging station.


Sensors in washroom dispensers are increasingly allowing manufacturers to connect their equipment to the internet. This enables facility managers to track the use of soap and paper and monitor the usage of each cubicle.


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