Robotic cleaners rolled out in school and sports centre following trial

Robotic cleaners are now being used in a Perthshire school and sports centre, following a successful trial.

Tayside Contracts – which provides the cleaning service for Perth and Kinross schools – has insisted the aim “wasn’t to replace people”.

The robots are being used to clean large open spaces within The Community School of Auchterarder and, according to Tayside Contracts, have been found to do the task in half of the time of a human being.

The commercial trading arm of Perth and Kinross Council (and Angus and Dundee City councils) outlined the trial in its annual performance report for 2024/25. The report was presented to the January 28 meeting of PKC’s Scrutiny and Performance Committee.

The report highlighted “efficiency and innovation” through its trials of the use of advanced robotic machines, which can sweep, scrub, vacuum and wash large open spaces.

It said: “In one trial, a robot cleaned a 1000m² area in just under an hour – half the time it would take a cleaner using traditional methods.”

Tayside Contracts this week told the Local Democracy Reporting Service, robotic cleaning equipment was trialled in The Community School of Auchterarder in August 2025 and is now used regularly by the cleaners at the campus.

A Tayside Contracts spokesperson said: “After the trial concluded, due to the positive feedback received from the cleaning team, we have implemented these robotic machines as part of regular daily cleaning.

The spokesperson added: “We trialled and now use six robotic vacuum cleaners and one robotic scrubber drier (which washes and dries hard flooring).”

At PKC’s Scrutiny and Performance Committee meeting last week, SNP councillor Michelle Frampton said she recognised the need to “move with the times” but questioned the effectiveness of robotic cleaners “given our schools and campuses are a hotbed for viruses and infections spreading”.

The Almond and Earn ward councillor said: “I question the reliance on them for cleaning thoroughly.

Cllr Frampton told councillors robotic cleaners “cannot provide the same deep cleaning as a human cleaner does as they cannot identify spillages or stickiness or stains that are on walls or in corners of rooms or under desks and chairs”.

She asked: “Do our human cleaners remain in the same room as the robotic cleaners therefore ensuring to clean areas not done by the robotic cleaner or are the robots just left to it? Is the use of robotics necessary due to staff shortages?”

Tayside Contracts’ managing director Dougie McKay, assured the committee: “It’s a trial and it’s definitely not about replacing existing cleaners.

“As you’ve picked up there, all the key points of the benefits of a human being able to identify areas and to clean stairs and difficult to reach areas, we’re always going to need the physical cleaners to do that.

“The trial of the robotics has been about big, open areas and it’s been determined they can do that in an efficient way.”

He added: “It’s about supplementing the resource that we have in place right now, so definitely not a case of removing physical cleaners with the benefit of robotics. It’s about supplementing them and making sure we have got the best use of that physical cleaning staff.

“So that means we can clean an open area with robotics but we can put more of the cleaners into some of these more difficult to clean areas.”

“This is very much at the early stages. This has been within one school within Perth and Kinross within the Auchterarder area. It’s not gone any wider than that at this moment in time.”

Cllr Frampton questioned the affordability of purchasing robotic cleaners and maintenance “given the yearly budget constraints”.

Mr McKay said that would “all have to be taken into account” before reaching a decision as to whether or not to roll out the use of robotic cleaners more widely.

He said: “Capital cost of purchasing these, maintenance versus replacing that as a physical person would all be considered.”