Robot vaccuum cleaner brings competitive advantages

• Effective scaling through cooperation with Belgrade 

• Rapid incorporation of customer feedback through agile approach 

• Complete solution thanks to experience in embedded, enterprise, and app development 

robart developed a hardware platform for a robot vacuum cleaner and a software development kit. Zühlke designed an Android app to control the robot.

Task

robart worked together with two partners. Zühlke was responsible for the app development, and the second partner for the user experience. Over the course of the project, Zühlke also extended parts of the software development kit (SDK). The challenge for all the project partners was the integration of the firmware, the SDK, and the app. At the same time, the interaction with the robot had to be tested adequately. An additional complexity driver was the fact that robart continued to develop the underlying hardware platform during the app design. 

Solution

Zühlke relied on distributed development located in Vienna and Belgrade: The project management and part of the development were based in Austria, the customer’s country, in order to ensure the best possible communication. The development was supported by Zühlke employees in Belgrade. The challenge for all the project partners was the integration of the firmware, the SDK, and the app. At the same time, the interaction with the robot had to be tested adequately. Thanks to the agile approach and short delivery cycles, feedback from robart and their customers could be incorporated immediately. As the project progressed, the app turned out to be not just an additional feature, but also a key success factor and USP of robart’s product. Therefore, the app was additionally made available to robart’s end users and modified for the purpose.