Seoul Facilities Corporation and Hanyang University Sign Agreement to Develop Roof Cleaning Robot for Gocheok Sky Dome...

Replacing Exterior Wall Cleaning with Persistent Fall Risk: Autonomous Movement with Obstacle Recognition and Avoidance Technology for Washing

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul Facilities Corporation announced on the 13th that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hanyang University to develop cleaning robots for the roof and exterior walls of Gocheok Sky Dome. This is the result of being selected for a national funding project jointly supported by the Corporation and Hanyang University with a budget of 2.85 billion KRW, and they plan to collaborate throughout the entire process of research, prototype development, and demonstration.

Since early this year, the Corporation has been working to identify and improve safety hazards for citizens and workers in line with the purpose of the Serious Accident Punishment Act. Cleaning the exterior walls of the dome stadium involves high-risk work at heights, posing dangers such as worker falls, as well as high costs, leading to a consensus on the need for a new approach. They have considered the possibility of developing and applying robots in collaboration with Hanyang University.

With the availability of national funding, the project has gained momentum. The goal is to complete the robot development by 2025. Gocheok Sky Dome, the only dome stadium in Korea, measures 159 meters in width, 221 meters in length, and 68 meters in height. Its top is gently curved, while the points where the walls meet have a 90-degree slope in a three-dimensional arch shape, making roof and exterior wall cleaning reliant on manual labor, which involves risks of worker falls and high costs.

The cleaning robot is equipped with cleaning brushes and is capable of moving freely both vertically and horizontally. It features AI-based obstacle recognition and avoidance functions, allowing it to move autonomously and clean exterior walls without separate operation. It can clean not only straight but also curved exterior walls, making it applicable to any facility.

Director Cho Sung-il said, “We have been able to realize ideas that emerged from the process of identifying safety hazards for citizens and workers. The cleaning robot has unique advantages in terms of versatility because it can be applied not only to other dome-shaped facilities facing similar challenges but also to general facilities. We will do our best to achieve successful results.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.