In the center of Manhattan, a new technology from Skyline Robotics, called Ozmo, is changing how these tall buildings are cleaned, making window washing safer, quicker, and more eco-friendly.
Skyline Robotics' Ozmo Taking Over Manhattan
Skyline Robotics is changing the traditional way of window washing with new technology, aiming to transform a risky industry. Ozmo is currently working in Tel Aviv and New York and has cleaned prominent Manhattan buildings like 10 Hudson Yards, 383 Madison, 825 3rd Avenue, and 7 World Trade Center in partnership with Platinum, a window cleaner, and The Durst Organization, a real estate giant.
The machine hangs from the side of a high-rise. A robotic arm with a brush cleans the window directed by a LiDAR camera, which scans the building's exterior and determines the window dimensions to map 3D environments.
President and Chief Operating Officer Ross Blum explained that the LiDAR paints a picture of the building's facade as the basket descends. While a human operator controls Ozmo from the top of the building, Blum mentioned that the robot could be operated remotely from anywhere.
Addressing the City's Safety and Efficiency
Reverse osmosis, the basis for the name Ozmo, eliminates water contaminants, making the cleaning process more efficient. Blum mentioned that they do not require separate tools like a squeegee and brush to achieve a spotless window. It is all done in one motion.
According to CEO James Halpin, Skyline Robotics board member and Platinum, the current cost of the Ozmo is about $500,000, with building owners typically recouping their investment within three to five years.
A Changing Workforce of the Future
The machine is part of a new technology wave capable of mimicking human tasks. Artificial intelligence advancements like ChatGPT have been in the news recently, raising concerns about job security in customer service, writing, and computer programming roles.
According to a 2020 World Economic Forum report, 85 million jobs may be replaced by automation by 2025, but 97 million jobs needing "reskilling and retraining" will be created.
A 2016 study by the Brookings Institution found that jobs in maintenance and construction, like window washing, have a "medium" portion of tasks (30% to 70%) that could be automated.
Halpin from Platinum mentioned that his company is interested in backing Ozmo due to a shortage of workers in high-rise window washing and labor shortage in all blue-collar fields in New York City, citing the need to hire an additional 20% just to manage the current workload.
Worries About Ozmo Replacing Human Jobs
Halpin and Blum stated that their ultimate goal is not to replace human workers and "retrain and reassign" window washers to use the technology. However, Ozmo reduces the number of people required for cleaning a building from a team of three to four human window washers to just one operator.
Ozmo worries some window washers, like Jose Nieves, a 23-year veteran at Rockefeller Center, about their jobs, thinking window washing dangers are exaggerated and human labor has to be preserved.
According to SEIU 32BJ, there are 500 to 550 unionized window washers in New York City, earning $31.69 per hour during the peak summer season. Nieves argues that society should not prioritize cost-cutting over worker safety and that they have been doing an excellent job without robots, believing they do not have to fix something that is not broken.
