Have you noticed mysterious machines in the SB Building and the Technology Park? They are Chalmers’ new employees – cleaning robots.
“We are now at the forefront – as we should be as a technical university”, says Henrik Friman, Head of Unit at the Service Department.
Since early summer, a scrubbing robot has been patrolling the SB Building in search of dirt. It was introduced as part of Chalmers’ digitalisation efforts.
“At the Service Division, cleaning was the most natural area to explore,” says Head of Unit Henrik Friman, who is responsible for cleaning at Chalmers together with Ewa Praetourius.
The main purpose of the robots is to support human staff while ensuring that the university’s premises remain clean.
“Cleaning is a job that wears on the body in the long run, and if we can do something to make a long working life easier, that is a positive thing. But the robots are only there to assist the staff – there is no question of replacing people,” says Henrik Friman.
At present, the robots clean the large open areas of the SB Building – tasks that otherwise take a lot of time and are physically demanding for staff.
“In this way, our cleaners can devote more time to detailed cleaning, which raises quality. And robots don’t fall ill or take holidays, which means we are less affected by absences. Previously, during periods of high absence, we had to prioritise which areas could be cleaned,” Friman explains.
The robots are never run without staff on site – they are started when the first employees arrive in the morning. Two staff members have been trained as superusers, able to reprogramme the maps the robots follow or fix other issues. The robots avoid obstacles and people – even excusing themselves as they pass.
In the newly opened Technology Park, several robot vacuum cleaners are in use
“Robots are a big advantage in the Technology Park, where there are many floors with wall-to-wall carpets. That’s a heavy surface to work with, and it takes a toll on the shoulders, for example,” says Friman.
Automated cleaning is likely to become a more common sight on campus. Friman hopes that by summer 2026 there will be 12–15 robots in operation.
“The key is to identify areas suitable for automation – spaces where a robot can clean effectively without running into too many obstacles. The aim is for them to be used in the larger buildings on campus.”
For now, flat-floored lecture halls are required – tiered lecture theatres don’t work. But in time, models capable of cleaning smaller offices may appear.