"Neither master nor slave...". A practical case study in the development and employment of cleaning robots

Industrially-oriented robotics research over the past decade has turned its attention to applications outside manufacturing environments. This is leading to the development of so-called "service robots". The function of a service robot necessarily entails greater focus on human factors issues. This industrial-perspective overview paper presents current floor-cleaning robots, and in particular describes the development of the Acromatic 750, made under ESPRIT Project 6051 "ACRO" (Autonomous Cleaning RObot), and its re-design and testing under ESPRIT Project 22172 "TEAM" (Test Environments for Autonomous Machines). It examines the practical barriers currently hindering commercial development and argues for a more eclectic approach to autonomous systems development, taking into account the operator's role and current industry structure.