We will be able to get so much more done. It is imperative that our staff is utilized to its maximum potential. Automating the floor cleaning frees up a lot of resources for us.
David Sherrill can only marvel at the stamina of the newest members of Milwaukee Area Technical College’s maintenance crew.
Sherrill, the college’s chief district facilities officer, recently got two additions to his staff to keep the Downtown Milwaukee Campus spic-and-span.
The newcomers never get tired. They are single-minded in purpose and always get the job done.
“Plus, they never take a day off,” Sherrill said.
That’s because the two new arrivals are robotic cleaners manufactured by TASKI, a 65-year-old firm based in Switzerland. In September 2024, the college approved the purchase of a TASKI robotic scrubber and a TASKI robotic vacuum from the Atlanta-based Veritiv Operating Company for $94,500.
The robotic equipment removes dirt, debris, mud, rain, snow and salt from floors and hallways in the C, M and T buildings, Sherrill said. At first the robots were used mostly at night, but now they are in service during the day, among students, faculty, staff and visitors, Sherrill added.
The machines operate with numerous camera eyes and can automatically stop when someone crosses their path, Sherrill said. “We know people might be tempted to mess with the machines, but we’re asking that they just let them complete their tasks,” he said.
Sherrill, in fact, hopes the college will embrace the machines and has asked students, faculty and staff to help name them. “One suggestion was to call one Rosey, like the robot maid on ‘The Jetsons.’” Sherrill said.
The robots function using the college’s Wi-Fi system and floor maps inputted into the machines. Once they reach their starting location, they know exactly where and when to start cleaning, Sherrill said.
The equipment powers up at charging stations on the second floor of the C Building and has cleaning pads held in place by magnets that are easy to switch out, Sherrill said.
According to the TASKI website, the company’s robotic scrubber picks up 99% of water on floors by applying 10 times more contact pressure than a person with a mop, which means cleaner, dryer and safer floors.
“So far we really like what we see from them,” Sherrill said.
The college considered purchasing the equipment for about a year. “As a technical college, I believe we need to try and do things with technology,” said Michael Clay, the college’s manager of facilities.
Clay, Sherrill and other staff reviewed products from four companies before settling on the TASKI equipment to help complete the massive amount of cleaning required each day while school is in session: Every classroom, laboratory, shop, administrative office and restroom, and all common areas.
But the college’s maintenance department is understaffed and finding workers is challenging, Sherrill said. While the robots clean and sweep floors, the college’s human maintenance workers dust, scrub and clean hard-to-reach spots like the top of lockers, entryways and stairwells, Clay said.
“We will be able to get so much more done,” Clay said. “It is imperative that our staff is utilized to its maximum potential. Automating the floor cleaning frees up a lot of resources for us.”
If the TASKI equipment proves dependable, the college would consider purchasing more machines, Sherrill said. Ideally, each building at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus would have at least one robotic scrubber, and all of MATC’s regional campuses would have the machines, he said.
“Downtown is the test, but we hope to have more of these in the coming year,” he said. “I think we’re a little bit behind where most colleges are with this type of technology right now, but we can catch up pretty quickly.”
About MATC: Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 30,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.