Kinematics, sensors and control of the fully automated façade‐cleaning robot SIRIUSc for the Fraunhofer headquarters building, Munich

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe how the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation (IFF) has developed the automatic façade‐cleaning robot SIRIUSc for use on the Fraunhofer‐Gesellschaft's headquarters, a high‐rise building in Munich, Germany. Design/methodology/approach – The building has a height of 80 m, its façade an area of 4,000 m 2 . Apart from the robot that moves along and cleans the façade, the complete, fully automated system consists of a fully automated gantry that secures, supplies energy to and, above all, positions the robot. Part of the project involved completely automating a standard gantry, which is an integral part of the complete façade‐cleaning robot system. Findings – This paper presents an overview of the significant basic functions of the robot and the gantry, emphasizing the kinematics, the control and sensor systems for navigation and the cleaning sequence that employs the extensive fully automatic functions of the robot and gantry. Originality/value – The paper presents the first freely climbing façade‐cleaning robot for vertical façades without rails effectively in use in Europe.