UAS-based services for the digital age
The professional cleaning of facades, roofs, and solar systems is time-consuming, expensive, and poses risks to personnel. But that is changing. Where industrial climbers and massive scissor lifts once dominated the scene, UAS-based methods could fundamentally transform this traditional service in the future. Berlin-based startup skyXwash demonstrates how cleaning drones could establish themselves profitably in the commercial real estate sector.
In a live demonstration on the campus of the Pandion Officehome Ostkreuz in Berlin, approximately 10,000 square meters of challenging glass facade served as a real-world laboratory for a technology that has the potential to shake up an entire service industry. The founders and managing directors of skyXwash, Christos Iordanidis and Robert Boer, showcased their AI-supported cleaning drone under real operational conditions for the first time – thereby reinforcing their ambitious European expansion strategy. In addition to Germany, markets such as Italy, Austria, Poland, and Switzerland are on their radar.
Economic rethinking in facility management
Like many other industries, the real estate and facility management sectors are under economic pressure. The industry is grappling with labor shortages, rising costs, and significant challenges in bureaucracy and workplace safety. The drone-based approach addresses these issues: by eliminating setup times for lifts or scaffolds, the system is ready for operation up to three times faster than conventional methods. This results in a massive reduction in total costs of up to 60 percent, as skyXwash demonstrates.
Depending on the task, different drones are used to optimally clean facades, PV systems, canopies, or window fronts
„We are bringing a classic, often dangerous, and labor-intensive activity into a new technological era”, says Christos Iordanidis, founder of skyXwash. „Our goal is not to replace people. We want to make building cleaning safer, smarter, and more efficient. New qualified job profiles – such as drone pilots, technical operators, and digital operations managers – will emerge from the physically risky tasks at heights.”
Digital deployment planning and precise sensor technology
From a technical standpoint, skyXwash’s solution is not just a flying working tool but a fully integrated ecosystem of hardware, digital deployment planning, and precise sensor technology. The drone navigates along facade structures using AI support, dynamically adjusting its distance and spray angle to suit the surface condition.
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To remove stubborn dirt without residue, the system operates with up to 200 bar of operating pressure. The cleaning process adheres to strict ESG criteria (Environmental, Social, and Governance): only pure osmosis water is used. By avoiding any chemical cleaning agents, both the environment and the building fabric are preserved. „The future of building cleaning lies in the intelligent combination of humans and technology“, says Iordanidis. „Drones take over the dangerous work at heights, while humans control, monitor, and are responsible for the process. That’s where the humane innovation lies: we make work safer, modern, and more attractive.”
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