Brain Corp. yesterday announced that it and Tennant Co. have completed the deployment of more than 40 autonomous scrubbers with Albert, part of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. and one of the Czech Republic’s largest retail brands.
“Albert stores’ introduction of autonomous robots is a great example of how retailers are using technology to support their workforces and enhance in-store operations,” stated Michel Spruijt, chief revenue officer at Brain Corp.
San Diego, Calif.-based Brain Corp claimed that its artificial intelligence software “powers the world’s largest fleet of autonomous mobile robots [AMRs] operating in commercial indoor public spaces.” The company said its global manufacturing partners use the BrainOS platform and its cloud-connected autonomy service to build, deploy, and support commercial robots at scale across industries and applications.
Founded in 1870, Tennant produces equipment for maintaining surfaces in industrial, commercial and outdoor environments; detergent-free and other sustainable cleaning technologies; and cleaning tools and supplies. The Eden Prairie, Minn.-based company reported sales of $1.09 billion in 2021 and has approximately 4,250 employees. Tennant has manufacturing operations throughout the world and sells products directly in 15 countries and through distributors in more than 100 countries.
Albert defined requirements with Tennant
Albert Czech Republic tested several cleaning robots last year in an effort to prioritize cleanliness and automate in-store processes. With the combination of Tennant equipment and Brain Corp's BrainOS, Albert has fully automated the task of cleaning floors in its stores.
In addition to the machines’ autonomous operation, BrainOS also provides a suite of fleet management tools. They include BrainOS Mobile, which is designed to enable managers to easily track machine operation and performance and ensure that work is being carried out on schedule and to a consistently high level.
Tennant and Albert collaborated to define the optimal robotic solutions. They needed to operate effectively and safely alongside employees while delivering the cleaning performance tailored to Albert store surfaces and requirements.
The partnership started with a pilot program, which deployed cleaning robots in several stores throughout the Ahold Delhaize network in Europe.
“After an extensive phase of research, we elected to deploy BrainOS-powered Tennant autonomous scrubbers, which proved to be the most effective machines for operating efficiently and safely in our stores,” said Pavel Klemera, operations support manager at Albert Czech Republic.
“The rollout has been seamless, and the advanced robotic scrubbers are easy for our team to operate, creating a high level of consistent and trackable cleaning, which ensures that our customers enjoy a comfortable and pleasant shopping experience,” he added.
Cleaning robots and Brain software spread across Europe
Tennant has been deploying AMRs for cleaning globally since 2017. It reported a significant year-on-year increase in deployments across Central Europe.
“We pride ourselves on producing automated machines that prioritize ease of use for the teams using them and in deploying these machines quickly and efficiently all across the world.” said Bruno Ferraty, strategic account manager for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at Tennant.
“With this partnership, we have seen the best of these, with a rapid and well-coordinated rollout and Albert’s in-store teams welcoming the introduction of robotic co-workers able to take over the mundane and repetitive cleaning tasks,” he said.
Since the start of the national deployment in Albert stores, Brain Corp said BrainOS-powered robotic scrubbers have covered over 8 million sq. m (86.1 million sq. ft.) and completed over 41,000 cleaning routes.
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