Chinese robotics manufacturer Siasun Robot & Automation has developed a high-altitude exterior wall cleaning robot that the company says could significantly reduce the risks associated with manual skyscraper cleaning.
In a statement on its website, Siasun says the system was created “in collaboration with its partners” and is intended to replace traditional methods where workers clean building exteriors while suspended at height.
The company says this practice remains “an extremely high-risk profession”, with operators facing “the life-threatening threat of falls from heights” as well as adverse weather, psychological pressure, and long-term health concerns.
According to Siasun, the new robot is capable of “precisely locating and autonomously cleaning building exteriors”.
Operators remain on the ground and use an industrial wireless controller to raise and lower the robot, while preset cleaning programs can be activated “with a single click on a tablet”.
The company describes the system as a “ground-to-surface collaboration” model that “completely revolutionizes traditional manual rope-based cleaning”.
Siasun says the robot integrates automation technology, vacuum adsorption and a steam-based cleaning module. The company highlights five main features.
First, the machine supports “both manual and automatic remote control modes”, with what Siasun calls a 150-metre control range. The company says this allows the robot to be used on “skyscrapers up to 120 meters high”.
Second, a built-in visual monitoring system provides “real-time video feedback on the robot’s position, suction status, and wall cleaning progress via a tablet”, which Siasun says enables “full-process visual monitoring”.
Third, a vacuum-based adhesion mechanism is used to secure the robot to the building façade. The company describes this as a combination of a push rod and suction cup system that generates “a strong suction force that firmly fixes the robot to the vertical surface”.
Fourth, the cleaning tool uses high-temperature steam delivered through specialised nozzles. Siasun says the design allows the system to soften dirt quickly and combine rinsing and scraping in a single pass.
The company claims a cleaning rate of “approximately 1.5 square meters per minute” while using “only 8 liters of water per hour”.
Finally, Siasun emphasises safety as the primary advantage, saying the robot “replaces manual labor for working at heights, keeping operators away from dangerous environments and fundamentally eliminating workplace accidents such as falls from heights”.
The company describes the system as achieving “unmanned high-altitude operation” and says it not only removes workers from hazardous environments but also reduces liability and safety-management costs for building maintenance firms.
According to Siasun, the robot represents “a significant industrial upgrade in the building maintenance sector, moving towards intelligence, standardization, and green practices”.
