This AI-powered robot means an end to one of the most dangerous urban jobs

One of the most important jobs in the world is in the bone industry. The window washers hanging from skyscrapers in New York, London, and other major cities around the world are on the verge of becoming a thing of the past. After many successful tests around the world, Skyline Robotics installed Ozmo, the world’s first automated window cleaning system in a 45-story office building at 1133 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan.

The system combines advanced robots, artificial intelligence, and sophisticated sensors to clean windows three times faster than humans. It will completely revolutionize the $40 billion window cleaning industry, Skyline Robotics President and COO Ross Blum told me in an email interview. Window washing represents a large piece of the global cleaning services market, which is worth $392 billion by 2023.

It will be tough news for people who make a living cleaning windows, but like other high-risk jobs, it’s a necessary change. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) documented 88 accidents involving window cleaners over a 15-year period, 62 of which resulted in death. In New York City alone, it is estimated that 1 in 200 window cleaners die on the job each year. In the UK, up to 30 serious injuries occur each year among window cleaners.

“We believe that the dangerous, dull, dirty jobs that people do today are ready to be done,” Blum tells me. His robotics company aims to automate all work at heights of more than 16 meters. He believes there may be a model of collaborative working where robots and humans combine their strengths to achieve greater efficiency, especially in unpredictable environments. But it’s only a matter of time before law and technology develop to the point where humans are no longer needed.

How Ozmo works

Ozmo is designed to mimic human window washers positioned on a platform suspended from the roof of a building. Two robotic arms made by robotics company Kuka handle the cleaning, and are currently supervised by a roofer. Blum explains that human monitoring is still necessary due to regulatory requirements. “If you are used to seeing two workers on social media, what you don’t see is a third person on the roof of the house next to the equipment that lowers that platform. We use that ‘third party’ as a robot operator. They set the stage, click the ‘Start Cleaning’ button, and monitor the system.”

The robots are equipped with a Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) system that maps the surrounding area in 3D, allowing the robot to accurately determine its position relative to the front of the building. The system scans every corner and curve, adjusting in real time to ensure perfect cleaning. “Ozmo is constantly exploring the environment,” Blum said. “Even subtle movements on the platform or changing sunlight and clouds count.” Years of algorithm development have ensured that the vision system remains reliable under various conditions.

One of the key features of Ozmo is its “touch sense”. Using force sensors, the robot adjusts the pressure applied to the windows based on the fragility of the glass. This is important to protect delicate or complex areas.

Additionally, while Ozmo’s hardware remains the same across buildings, its software and algorithms adapt to various window patterns, heights, and sills, making the system versatile across different architectural designs. Overcoming technical obstacles such as data management, water pressure, and field automation at high altitudes was key to Ozmo’s development.

The inevitable result

Ozmo operates as a Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) platform, which allows properties to pay based on factors such as square footage and number of cleaning cycles per year. According to Skyline Robotics, this model offers greater flexibility, allowing buildings to schedule cleaning over a longer period of time, while providing detailed performance data for each day of service, Blum tells me.

While Ozmo currently requires a human operator, Skyline Robotics plans to launch a fully autonomous version, eliminating the need for manual supervision. Blum acknowledges that regulatory requirements could prevent complete independence in some markets, but he believes the industry is headed in that direction. “The hidden part of the puzzle of new technology is building trust,” he said. “Our partners trust us, and we hope that as we continue to develop, we can further our independence.”

However, he insists that current employees will remain involved in certain activities. “The men and women graduating from this profession today are amazing, and we always see them as part of the future,” he said, adding that future roles could shift to service delivery or other aspects of care.

This sounds like a good short-term solution, but it’s also naive. History has shown that automation has displaced many jobs that were once considered important and vital to our civilization. It’s only a matter of time before the same thing happens in something as dangerous and tedious as window cleaning.

Skyline Robotics sees Ozmo’s deployment to New York as just the beginning. With patents in Japan and Singapore, the company plans to expand globally, bringing its technology to cities like London. “We are on the right track to bring the future of automation closer every day,” said Blum.