SoftBank's AI Robots Tackle Commercial Cleaning's Labor Crisis

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – March 04, 2026 – SoftBank Robotics America today announced a significant expansion of its automation portfolio, launching a new suite of AI-enabled service robots designed to transform the commercial cleaning industry. In a strategic partnership with robotics specialist Gausium, the San Francisco-based firm is introducing three advanced models aimed at addressing critical labor shortages while boosting operational efficiency in complex, dynamic environments.

The launch marks a pivotal moment for the adoption of physical AI, moving autonomous cleaning from a niche technology to a mainstream enterprise solution. The new lineup—comprising the Omnie for large-scale scrubbing, the V40 2.0 for vacuuming, and the Phantas 1.3 for sweeping and light scrubbing—is engineered to deliver a higher standard of clean with minimal human intervention.

"SoftBank Robotics America is pleased and excited to expand the applications and products of our portfolio with our trusted partner, Gausium," said Brady Watkins, President and GM of SoftBank Robotics America. "This move provides complementary technologies that enable more scalable outcomes that can deliver best run operations."

A New Generation of Intelligent Cleaning

At the heart of this new fleet is a sophisticated fusion of AI technologies that sets it apart from previous generations of cleaning robots. The Omnie, V40 2.0, and Phantas 1.3 are equipped with advanced computer vision, vision-language models, and 3D Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors, a combination more commonly associated with the autonomous driving industry.

This powerful sensor suite provides the robots with superior spatial awareness. Unlike simpler models that follow rigid, pre-programmed paths, these machines can perceive their surroundings in three dimensions, allowing for dynamic navigation and intelligent obstacle avoidance. They can distinguish between a person, a discarded box, or a permanent fixture, plotting the most efficient cleaning path in real-time. Research into the underlying Gausium technology reveals capabilities like AI-powered spot detection, where a robot can identify a spill, divert from its route to clean it, and then seamlessly resume its original task.

"With the latest in computer vision and vision language models, our new service robots have superior spatial awareness, including 3D LiDAR, which leads to better localization, smarter navigation, and ultimately higher uptime," explained Kate Kidd, VP of Product at SoftBank Robotics America. This enhanced perception enables the robots to operate effectively in challenging public spaces such as airports, medium-sized retail stores, and senior living communities, where unpredictability is the norm. The result is a more reliable and consistent clean with fewer delays or calls for human assistance.

The Phantas 1.3 model, for instance, integrates four cleaning modes and uses deep learning to identify different floor types, automatically adjusting its methods for sweeping, scrubbing, or vacuuming. This level of intelligence promises not just automation, but an optimization of the entire cleaning process.

Automation as a Solution to the Labor Crisis

The timing of the launch is no coincidence. The commercial cleaning and broader service industries have been grappling with a persistent and deepening labor crisis for years. Businesses from hospitality to facilities management find it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain staff for essential, often physically demanding, janitorial roles. This workforce gap puts immense pressure on organizations that depend on cleanliness and environmental perception to maintain their brand image and customer experience.

SoftBank Robotics America is positioning this new suite as a direct answer to that challenge. By automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks like vacuuming vast hallways or scrubbing large open floors, the robots allow human staff to be reallocated to higher-value responsibilities. These can include more detailed sanitation work, quality control, customer interaction, or managing the fleet of autonomous helpers. This model represents a shift in thinking from replacing workers to augmenting them, creating a collaborative environment where human and machine work in tandem.

Mark Stoll, Senior Vice President of Revenue Operations, emphasized that the strategy is focused on tangible results. "This expansion is about outcomes, not just robots, and strengthens our ability to support diverse environments with the right combination of vacuuming and scrubbing performance, reliability, and data-driven accountability," he stated. For enterprise organizations, this means a reliable way to enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) and deliver a consistent level of cleanliness, regardless of staffing fluctuations.

The Strategy of Orchestration

This launch also illuminates SoftBank Robotics America's evolving business strategy as a "robot integrator" or "orchestrator." Rather than developing all technology in-house, the company focuses on identifying best-in-class solutions and integrating them into a comprehensive, supported package for clients. The partnership with Gausium is a prime example of this model in action.

Gausium, a recognized leader in AI-powered autonomous cleaning solutions, provides the advanced hardware and core intelligence. SoftBank Robotics America then acts as the crucial link to the market, providing deployment expertise, customer training, lifecycle support, and integration into existing business operations. This "orchestration" model de-risks the adoption of automation for enterprises, offering a single point of contact and a clear path from initial investment to realizing strategic value.

Edward Cheng, CEO of Gausium, highlighted the synergy of the partnership. "As the Platinum Service Elite partner of choice, SoftBank Robotics America is our premier partner for complex enterprise solutioning, and their renowned enterprise adoption program ensures customers receive the full value from their robotic investments," Cheng said. This approach aligns with the broader vision of the parent SoftBank Robotics Group, which aims to pioneer "Robot Transformation (RX)" by making robotic solutions accessible and effective for businesses worldwide.

From Airports to Retail: Deploying Robots in the Real World

The practical applications for this advanced technology are vast and are already being proven in demanding environments. The robots are tailored for specific use cases: the Omnie is designed for scrubbing in large, dynamic areas like airport concourses or convention centers; the V40 2.0 targets vacuuming in medium-to-large indoor spaces like hotels and office buildings; and the compact Phantas 1.3 is ideal for sweeping and light scrubbing in smaller, more cluttered environments like retail stores or clinics.

The technology's real-world readiness is underscored by existing deployments. Gausium's Omnie robots, for example, have already been put to work at Milan Airports in Italy, preparing the facilities for the influx of visitors for the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. This deployment in a high-traffic, security-sensitive location demonstrates the maturity and reliability of the autonomous navigation system. By bringing these proven solutions into its portfolio, SoftBank Robotics America offers its North American clients a technology that is not just promising, but road-tested. This move signals a clear intent to move beyond pilot programs and toward large-scale, impactful automation that solves pressing operational challenges across a wide spectrum of industries.