Top-performing cleaning robots sweep awards

A total of 37 robots were declared winners at the First Shenzhen (International) Intelligent Sanitation Cleaning Robot Competition yesterday at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center in Bao’an District.

The competition concluded with four entrants winning first prizes, seven securing second prizes, 10 clinching third prizes, and an additional 16 receiving merit prizes.

Visitors watch a robot cleaning the floor during the First Shenzhen (International) Intelligent Sanitation Cleaning Robot Competition at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center yesterday. Courtesy of the organizer

Participating AI-powered cleaning robots were evaluated based on their performances across three distinct scenarios: park and square cleaning, non-motorized road maintenance, and auxiliary road upkeep.

The inaugural AI sanitation robot competition, which is also reportedly the world’s first sanitation robot competition, aimed to promote the high-quality development of Shenzhen’s sanitation industry.

Previously, companies developed AI-powered cleaning robots independently based on their individual perceptions of market demands. This competition, however, is set to change the landscape, according to the city’s urban management authority.

The driverless sweeper S330, developed by Shenzhen Saite Intelligence, won the first prize in the park and square scenario. The sweeper was the only candidate to successfully navigate a 20 degree slope at the competition.

As a highly intelligent outdoor unmanned sweeper equipped with a large-capacity garbage bin, the cleaning robot can automatically dump garbage when it is full. It also has a dual function mode in which it cleans while spraying water to control dust. This sweeper has been used in Huafu Subdistrict and Shenzhen Book City CBD Store in Futian District.

Ma Chan, product director at Shenzhen Saite Intelligence, noted that the competition will serve as a motivation for skill enhancement. The team is currently planning to design a robot capable of tackling challenging cleaning tasks in hard-to-reach areas, such as beneath rows of shared bicycles that line many of the streets in the city.

The city’s industry and information technology bureau has recently released a third batch of AI application scenarios that cover 32 fields in order to further expand the use of AI.

At present, China is home to over 30 enterprises involved in the manufacturing and R&D of AI sanitation equipment, and Shenzhen accounts for more than 30%, according to Shenzhen Economic Daily.