High-Rise Window Cleaning Made Easy!
A Building Window Cleaning Device with Protrusion Navigation Control

▲ Research Fellow Kim Kyun-tae, Department of Construction Policy Research, KICT

You may have witnessed the hair-raising sight of a window cleaner hanging on ropes, washing the windows of a skyscraper. This task is as dangerous as it looks. If the cleaner loses focus for even a moment, or if a rope breaks, it could lead to a serious accident. A new technology has been devised to eliminate such perilous situations: "Building Window Cleaning Device with Protrusion Navigation Control” (hereinafter referred to as the “Window Cleaning Device”).

What were the issues with previous window cleaning devices?

A window cleaning device operates in a manner similar to how a person cleans windows. It starts by spraying water onto the window, rinsing off dirt, and using a "brush" to scrub away grime. Finally, a "wiper" removes the remaining water from the window’s surface. Despite the development of various devices with these functions, achieving spotless cleaning on exterior walls has been challenging. The main issue lies in the frames connecting the windows, as the brushes and wipers attached to the device often struggle with these. Brushes can navigate over protruding parts like frames, but may leave stains as water dries. These stains should be removed by the wiper, which requires constant contact with the surface of the glass. However, when it encounters a protruding frame, the wiper's rubber surface can bounce off, causing water droplets to splash onto the window. To prevent this, the wiper should lift off the glass surface before reaching protruding parts, but this approach leaves areas uncleaned. Addressing these challenges, the Window Cleaning Device developed by the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) ensures the effective and spotless cleaning of exterior walls.

How does the new device ensure spotless window cleaning?

The key difference from conventional window cleaning devices is that "rails" are installed, and cleaning is only done on the sections with these rails. This design is well-suited to apartment and office buildings in South Korea. Most commercial and office buildings are sold as individual units, with each responsible for managing its own windows. Consequently, this window cleaning device is designed to clean only its designated area, such as an independent office or store. The window cleaning device, comprising a wiper and drive unit, moves along these installed rails. The wiper is designed to traverse over window frames, minimizing uncleaned areas and contamination on exterior walls. Equipped with both a brush and a wiper, the device can efficiently clean windows in various weather conditions. On rainy days, the wiper removes contaminants from moist windows, while on clear days, the brush dusts off dirt. This ensures windows remain clean regardless of the weather conditions. Currently, the cleaning tool, rails, and drive unit have been developed for this window cleaning device, and a prototype has been produced. Its performance has been validated through lab tests and field trials, including at a hospital building in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. The entire process, from installation to operation and cleaning, has been confirmed as functioning seamlessly.

What is the market potential of this device if it is commercialized?

According to the global market analysis firm Contrive Datum Insights, the global window-cleaning robot market was worth 85.17 million USD (approximately KRW 113.5 billion) last year, and is growing at an average annual rate of 15.2%. By 2030, the market size is projected to expand to around 264.18 million USD (approximately KRW 352.4 billion). The window cleaning market itself is also quite large. According to a study by Seo Hyeon-young et al. (2022), the size of the building window cleaning market in South Korea grew from KRW 93.625 billion in 2014 to 123.377 billion in 2018, an average annual growth rate of 7.1%. If this trend continues, the South Korean window cleaning market is expected to grow to KRW 285.058 billion by 2030. Therefore, the growth potential for this technology in the market is anticipated to continue expanding.

Could you share your future research plans?

I would like to continue developing construction technologies by working in collaboration with various institutions. In particular, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often face challenges in addressing technical issues due to limitations in time, manpower, and capital. I hope that SMEs and large corporations, together with the KICT, can collaborate and scratch each other's backs to develop smart construction technologies along the way. In addition, I currently serve as a full professor at the University of Science & Technology (UST), teaching classes related to construction project management and smart construction. Recently, one of my students graduated with a master's degree. If I’m given the opportunity, I would like to pass on my research and development experience in smart construction to future students.