In the Munich clinic that employs him, Franzi does his job of cleaning floors impeccably. But in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, this talkative robot has found another function: to make patients and staff smile.
“I really want to clean up!”
“Can you step aside please? I have to clean up!” The machine asks in German, in a shrill voice, of those who get on its pre-programmed path.
Beware of refractories, Franzi insists in a louder voice: “You have to push yourself! I really want to clean!”. And, if that is not enough, she ends up shedding a few digital tears from her eyes represented by two LEDs that change color.
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“With the pandemic, visits are prohibited so Franzi distracts patients a bit,” describes Constance Rettler, of the firm Dr. Rettler, who cleans the Neuperlach clinic and who supplied the robot.
Three times a day, he walks through the entrance hall of the hospital, with an automatic mop as feet. Amused patients take pictures of him. Others “chat” with the device about a meter high.
“Born” in a Singapore company, Franzi was called Ella and spoke English before arriving in Munich earlier this year.
But her German is perfect when she tells her interlocutors that she “never wants to grow up” and that cleaning is her passion. On request, she can also sing a rap song or some German classics.
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When Franzi is stuck … she cries
To those who wonder about the risk of seeing Franzi take the place of real employees, Constance Rettler assures that this is not the goal. The robot would rather be intended to “support” his flesh-and-blood colleagues, who are difficult to recruit, especially in times of coronavirus.
“With the pandemic, a lot of disinfection work has to be done in hospitals,” she describes. “Our employees can focus on this while Franzi takes care of the ground.”
The robot also has its limits: for example, it cannot go around corners. And if he hits an obstacle, he freezes and bursts into tears – only a human can come and rescue him.
After a testing phase lasting several weeks, Franzi appears to have been adopted by the hospital. The Rettler firm therefore decided to keep it despite its cost of 40,000 euros.
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