KUCHING: It’s the rainy season, which means you’re going to be driving a lot; from picking up the kids from their school activities and going on road trips to and driving out for a weekend of fun.
Whatever the occasion, you are going to be busy. That means you won’t have time to spend hours washing the car. The solution? A robotic car wash!
Pay&Go, a Sarawakian leading technology company that provides lifestyle convenience and fast payment for various kiosk payments and smart city solutions, has announced the opening of its new robotic car wash facility on its Facebook page last Monday (Jan 23).
Located in Stampark BDC, the new facility, which is just six metres long and two metres wide, utilises cutting-edge robotics and artificial intelligence to provide convincing cleaning experiences for customers.
Speaking to New Sarawak Tribune today, its chief executive officer (CEO) Eddie Wee said this was simply a case of innovation catching up to interest.
“We’re always looking for ways to improve our services and meet the changing needs of our customers. The robotic car wash is a natural progression for our smart parking solution enterprise and we are thrilled to bring this facility to the local community.
“Our robotic car wash will provide customers with a faster, more efficient and more enjoyable car washing experience. The whole process can take as little as six minutes for any passenger car, pickup truck or SUV on the market today,” he said, noting that advances in software, sensors and direct activating devices are making robotics more practical and affordable.
“The sensors, cameras and other components will find their way to car wash equipment, bringing down the cost and creating devices that can operate in the car wash environment.
The cost to build the facility was substantial, but it was worth it.
“We invested more than RM100,000 to build it and we believe that the investment is well worth it,” he added.
According to Wee, the robotic car wash is not only more efficient and effective than traditional car washes, but it is a more convenient option for busy drivers as it allows for quick and efficient cleaning of vehicles without the need for customers to leave their cars.
The 53-year-old tech entrepreneur is confident that this new venture will be a success and will bring a new level of convenience to the community.
He is planning to open more robotic car washes throughout Kuching to serve more customers.
Meanwhile, inside, a man who directs drivers to the wash bay, Jeff Adin, 38, said that the process typically begins with the vehicle being driven onto the wash bay.
Once the vehicle is in place, the robotic car wash system uses a combination of sensors and cameras to scan the vehicle and determine its position. This information is then used to guide the cleaning robots, which are typically mounted on overhead tracks, to the various areas of the vehicle that need to be cleaned precisely.
He also explained that the robots use high-pressure water jets, specialised soaps, and waxes to clean the vehicle. It also has the capability to dry the vehicle with air blowers.
For optimistic operators dreaming of zero-based labour models at some point in the future, retired manufacturing engineer William Tan, who was present observing the whole process of car washing told New Sarawak Tribune:
“Not so fast. Besides requiring employees for maintaining and fixing equipment, as well as for greeting and helping customers as needed, today’s robots simply cannot perform some of the tasks still practiced at many car washes across the country.
“Robots for (cleaning) inside the car could be a long way off, but I wouldn’t say never. The idea behind robots is certainly to reduce some types of labor, but there will still be a need for people to maintain and monitor the robots’ work, like Jeff over here,” he remarked.
Wee said the robotic car wash system was not completed yet, due to delay of shipment from China, but it will be fully automated soon and will provide customers with a fast, efficient and high-quality car washing experience.
Tech-savvy drivers in the city will be delighted to hear that his robotic car wash facility will incorporate Pay&Go app that allows them to pay for services, and even track the number of vehicles currently at the car wash, and customers could use this information to plan their visit.
Additionally, the facility is generally open from 8 am to 10 pm including weekends and holidays, making them a convenient option for busy drivers who may not have time to wash their vehicles during regular business hours.
As an added incentive to use Pay&Go mobile app to make payment, Wee said a discount price of RM12 is offered to customers who choose to pay through the facility’s mobile app. Customers who choose to pay with cash and credit card will have to pay more.
It is also worth noting that the number of vehicles it has been servicing, as of now, is more than 100 and it is likely that the number will continue to increase steadily.
Vincent Chan, washing his black BMW plug-in hybrid sedan, said he saw cars coming to the car wash.
“With so much rain this week, my car gets dirty every few days. Plus, many closed due to Chinese New Year. Every time I visit a car wash facility, there are invariably two or three cars ahead of me.
“I was a bit sceptical at first about trying out a robotic car wash, but I have to say, I was really impressed,” said the company director, who said he only washes his car weekly.
