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Designing Dispatch Screens for Robotics

How I approached designing dispatch screens for a fleet my first time

I had to view the problem as multi-layered. There are 4 constant rules. People set the rules, watch the outcomes and handle what the rules can’t.

01

Route

Which path each robot takes, and who yields at crossings.

02

Assign

Which robot takes which task, weighing distance, battery, capability and load.

03

Sequence

Which task goes first, based on deadlines like the next truck out.

04

Sustain

Charging and maintenance, so enough robots are ready for the next hour.

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Swipe or drag the cards to read each rule

Cleaning fleets play by different rules

Scrubber-dryers that scrub and squeegee, vacuums and sweepers, and trash runners.

Operating factorsMoving goodsCleaning floors and hauling trash
01The workA trip from A to BCovering an area, or a full bin to the compactor
02WhenOn demand, all shiftScheduled, often between shifts or overnight
03SuccessThroughput against planCoverage, quality and proof it happened
04What runs outBatteryBattery, clean water, dirty-water tank, bags, brushes
05Who tends themSupervisors and techsJanitorial or facility staff, often a contractor
06Typical problemsBlocked, lost, faultsTank full, brush tangled, area busy, zone skipped
Five people who use the dispatch screens, each with a key question and device. Shift supervisor: “Is the fleet healthy, and where do I need to be?” on a console and wall display. Floor associate: “Is this robot here for me, and what do I do with it?” on the robot screen, lights and a handheld. Maintenance tech: “Which robot, what’s wrong, and where is it?” on a handheld or tablet. Operations manager: “Are we on rate for the shift and the week?” in desktop analytics. Vendor support: “What happened, and can I see the logs?” on a remote console.