Robotic cases in a car washing company

Overview

Autonomous Mobile Manipulator for vehicle washing

ISTOBAL is a multinational leader in the design, manufacturing, and marketing of vehicle washing and care solutions. With sixteen subsidiaries and four production plants in Europe, America, and Asia, the company currently exports to more than 80 countries, devoting 70% of its production to international sales. It ranks as the second largest manufacturer of vehicle washing solutions in Europe and the fourth worldwide.

Within the pilot research project “Development of Robotic and Mobile Robotic Systems for Vehicle Washing and Care”, the company has incorporated Robotnik’s RB-KAIROS+ mobile manipulator as the basis of this technology. This integration enables progress toward an automated washing system that combines precision, flexibility, and autonomy, while reducing time and operating costs.

The goal is to apply mobile robotics to transform vehicle care, improving efficiency, ensuring service quality, and reinforcing sustainability through a more rational use of water and resources. In addition to minimizing environmental impact by optimizing water, energy, and chemical usage, these advances enhance operational safety. Automation reduces direct staff exposure to wet environments or moving machinery, lowering accident risks and improving working conditions.

Robotnik’s robotics solution

To drive automation and efficiency in vehicle washing, ISTOBAL’s project incorporates the RB-KAIROS+ , an Autonomous Mobile Manipulator that integrates, in a plug-and-play manner, a collaborative arm from Universal Robots’ e-series.

Its design combines power and precision: an omnidirectional platform, payload capacity of up to 250 kg on the base and 16 kg on the arm, and continuous operation autonomy of up to six hours.

These features allow the automation of common tasks in washing and care processes, such as vehicle profiling, trajectory planning, or precise treatment application, with maximum safety and repeatability. The RB-KAIROS+ also avoids unnecessary contact with bodywork, protecting both vehicles and operators, and ensures reliable, consistent results in every wash cycle.

Challenges

The integration of mobile robotics to automate vehicle washing raises challenges related to precision in variable environments, mobility in confined spaces, operational safety, and sustainability. The RB-KAIROS+ incorporates a compact design that provides great maneuverability, adapting easily to different vehicle sizes and geometries while ensuring uniformity in each treatment.

Capable of agile movement while detecting and avoiding obstacles, the RB-KAIROS+ minimizes staff exposure to machinery and wet conditions, thus increasing safety and improving working environments. This technology enables automation of tasks such as vehicle profiling, accurate soap or treatment application, and other finishing operations, all while maintaining process repeatability and quality.