Startup from Israel unveils AI robot capable of moving as flexibly as ‘spider-man’, which will be used to clean the glass of skyscrapers in Hong Kong

Verobotics – an Israeli start-up is developing an automated AI robot capable of cleaning and inspecting glass facades of high-rise buildings. Accordingly, this company signed a $5.4 million agreement to maintain and maintain skyscrapers in Hong Kong (China), marking a foray into the Asian market.

According to TimesofIsrael, Verrobotics will partner with robotics solutions company Robocore to deliver several dozen models of robots in a city that currently has 9,000 high-rise buildings.

As part of the deal, the robots are expected to clean and inspect the outside of the buildings of some of the city’s biggest real estate developers, starting in the third quarter of 2023.

Robocore CEO Roy Lim said: ” With the largest concentration of high-rise buildings in the world, Verrobotics solutions are particularly relevant for Hong Kong (China). will be deployed on hundreds of buildings over the next few years. ”

” This technology is a game changer ,” added Lim.

Founded in 2020 by Ido Genosar and Itay Levitan, with leading investment from TAU Ventures, the venture arm of Tel Aviv University, along with other angel investors, Verobotics has developed what they call a “human-like” vertical robot that weighs less than 10 kilograms. This robot works completely independently, can be installed on the roofs of high-rise buildings, easy to transport and manage without using cranes or railing systems.

Genosar, founder of Verobotics, told The Times of Israel that the $40 billion skyscraper maintenance industry hasn’t changed much since the 1950s. Maintenance or cleaning is done manually by humans.

According to Genosar, the process is risky, laborious, dangerous and expensive. Having worked in the construction industry, Genosar began looking for a better solution.

This is the premise for Verobotics to develop AI-powered robots, built with aerospace engineering materials and capable of crawling vertically like ‘spider-man’ on the facades of skyscrapers to clean and check.

Specifically, Vorrobotics’ solution includes a lightweight, autonomous robot with two arms that moves across building surfaces in a manner reminiscent of a person walking vertically. The orientation of the robot in the building area is based on an array of cameras. The robot is integrated with a cleaning unit, which is reminiscent of a miniature drone, equipped with two brushes and a thrust element to attach them to the building’s glass.

“Many high-rise buildings can only afford about two cleaning cycles annually, and each cycle can take up to four months, whereas our equipment would take about a month (for a cleaning cycle) and can be effectively used four to six times per year,” commented Genosar.

In addition, Genosar and Levitan have developed a software platform that automates inspection and maintenance processes with the help of machine learning algorithms. The platform will scan and monitor building facades to collect data through sensors to detect defects and damage to facilities, such as cracks or leaks.

“Our robotic device has a camera and provides a visual map with navigation system to building owners and can therefore also be used for predictive maintenance to save costs.” Genosar said.

Going forward, this Israeli startup plans to gradually deploy the robotic device in other markets in the US, Australia, Hong Kong and Israel. It is expected that by 2024, Verobotics will produce and deploy more than 100 of its robots.