Mixed-Brand Robot Fleets: Pick by Task, Not by Maker

What is the fastest way to choose robots across brands?

Start with the job, not the catalog. A manufacturer's product line is built around what that maker sells, so it shows the strengths of its own range, not necessarily the right machine for your building.

For a mid-size site, the working order is simple: define the task in measurable terms, match a robot class to it, then compare specific models from more than one maker. An OEM-neutral integrator runs that screening before any brand earns a preference, and the result is a short list rather than a sales pitch.

Which task details should you pin down first?

Put numbers on the job before comparing any machine. Five details do most of the narrowing:

• Floor area and surface type, including carpet, polished concrete or epoxy
• Operating window, such as an overnight block with no staff on the floor
• Traffic and route constraints: doors, elevators, tight aisles and glass walls
• Debris type: dust, liquid spills, sawdust or packaging scrap
• Escalation path: who receives alerts and how fast a fault must be cleared

How does an OEM-neutral integrator narrow the field?

A neutral integrator starts with a site visit and mapping, then tests candidate robots against the same measures: coverage per hour, sensor set, charging needs, Wi-Fi reach and how quickly a local engineer can respond. Not every machine will run in every building, so this step removes options early.

Service Robot Co. works this way. We run a site assessment, quote one fixed lease payment on a 3-year lease, then deploy, integrate, train and service the units through our nationwide US engineer network. One partner and one number stay in place whichever makers end up on the short list.

What does a floor-cleaning shortlist look like?

Floor scrubbers make the comparison problem concrete. As of November 2026, Gausium's catalog lists its Scrubber 50 Pro at 500 to 1,300 square meters per hour, with specs that vary by configuration, and it combines 2D LiDAR, a 3D depth camera, an RGB camera and anti-collision sensors.

Avidbots describes its Neo 2 as a fully autonomous scrubber for large commercial spaces. A third-party spec listing gives a 24-inch cylindrical cleaning head, but the numeric specs were not legible in that listing, so none are quoted here.

The lesson is to compare like with like. A coverage figure from one configuration, one floor type and one set of conditions does not carry over to another. Ask every maker for its number under the same floor conditions before the figures go on the sheet.

Can mixed brands share one service team?

Yes, if the team works from one queue. Each manufacturer's software typically asks operators to log into a separate dashboard, and that switching is the friction multi-brand fleets run into. According to an iFactory guide, multi-vendor platforms offer route monitoring and maintenance tracking across brands rather than replacing each maker's system.

Vendors make this claim too. As of November 2026, ToolSense said on its website that its RoboHub integrates more than 15 robot brands, and it lists Pudu, Gausium, LionsBot, ICE Cobotics, Kärcher and Nilfisk among partners. FieldBots' App Store listing describes manufacturer-independent fleet management naming Gausium, Kärcher, Keenon, LionsBot and Pudu. These are vendor claims, so check them against the machines you actually run.

Shared service works best when technicians learn the workflow rather than one vendor's controls. One dispatch number, one log format and a named spare for each zone give the team a single path when something stops.

What do IFR's figures say about transport and cleaning?

The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) publishes the clearest public counts. According to its 2025 report, covering 2024 data, professional service robot sales reached almost 200,000 units, up 9%. Transportation and logistics sold 102,900 units, up 14%, and professional cleaning grew 34% to more than 25,000 units.

According to trade press summaries of its 2026 report, covering 2025 data, transportation and logistics reached 117,500 units, up 21%, a 47% share of professional service robot sales. Overall shipments rose 24% to almost 250,000 units, per SupplyChain Digital.

Keep the two reports apart. IFR cautions that its totals are not projected to the whole industry, and figures from different World Robotics reports should not be combined. Trade sources also disagree on cleaning's 2026 result, so we leave that figure out.

What does a mid-size site shortlist look like?

Picture a mid-size facility with a warehouse floor, a staffed receiving dock, a customer-facing entry and an overnight gap. A workable shortlist keeps one candidate per task, with the reason written beside it.

• Overnight aisle scrubbing: a floor scrubber shortlisted on coverage per hour, sensor set and charging layout, with a second maker's model as the comparison
• Dock-to-storage pallet moves: an autonomous mobile robot tested on the actual route at peak traffic
• After-hours perimeter checks: a security patrol robot where a fixed camera leaves a gap
• Inspection of hard-to-reach areas: an inspection robot only where human entry is costly or unsafe

How do you test the shortlist before committing?

Pilot the leading candidate for each task in one zone. Log uptime, staff touches, missed passes and the minutes needed to clear a fault, then set those logs against the spec sheet. Measured results should carry more weight than brochure numbers.

Each line on the shortlist stays separate until the site assessment confirms power, Wi-Fi, mapping and staff handoffs. Mixing brands on the list does not weaken the case by itself, provided each machine has a named service contact and a fallback for downtime.

Service Robot Co. can start a customer with one leased unit, then expand once the logs back the match. Our 3-year lease carries one fixed payment quoted after the site assessment, and service comes from the same nationwide US engineer network whatever the robot class.