The car wash industry has gone from its labor-intensive, hand-wash roots into the digital age. Instead of needing a staff of 20 or 30 to wash 60,000 to 80,000 cars a year, you can now wash twice as many with a manager and several attendants.
This minimal human input is achieved thanks to automation, which is the application of technology to improve efficiency and productivity. It’s also achieved by not offering assisted services.
is a self-supporting interior cleaning robot.
However, if you want to provide vacuuming, hand waxing, interior detail, and other services, you need a staff. For example, off-line full-service needs between 8 and 10 people at the starting line to vacuum 60 cars an hour.
This doesn’t include a customer service advisor, drive-on assistant, or vehicle prepper. Then you need even more people at finish line to detail and “kiss off” customers. Flex-serve requires about half as much labor, but you still need folks to do the work.
However, a company called Confinity Robotics is planning to change this. The automation company has developed a product line of three robots explicitly designed for the car wash industry. The stationary gantry system, or STAGS, is a self-supporting interior cleaning services robot that can be used as a plug-and-play unit anywhere, including outdoors.
Systems can be co-joined side-by-side and can include two or four arms per unit. The arms also have attachments to dispense air, mist, or steam. According to Nick Bush, Confinity CEO and co-founder, STAGS has an output of 10 cars an hour, reducing the number of people to do this from 10 to two. Considering the minimal human input required, such a device has the potential to revolutionize the car wash industry.
Other robots in the line are GUY-BOT and BIGS. BIGS (belt integrated gantries) is designed to work seamlessly with existing or new flat-belt interior cleaning operations. BIGS is said to achieve hourly rates of 40 to 50 or more vehicles cleaned per belt with minimal human input.
GUY-BOT is a ceiling-mounted system that can be fitted into dedicated areas with limited space, such as the parking garages at airport car rental agencies. Besides interior cleaning, the company has plans for additional modules for waxing, tire dressing, and other tasks.
Bush said the secret sauce that makes the robots viable is a sophisticated software platform that adjusts the system to a car’s location, interprets the cabin’s interior configuration, and works on-the-fly quickly and safely.
Confinity has been developing the systems for six years and has patents on the technology, owns its IP, and, up to this point, is privately funded. Currently, the company has one functional beta site and two more planned in the coming months. Confinity’s suite of services includes installation, commissioning, repair, maintenance, site evaluations, and replacement tools.
Another company pioneering the use of robotic arms to clean cars is Preen Technologies. Based out of Rümlang, Zurich, PREEN is a software and technology company specializing in the development of AI-enhanced, robotic car wash solutions.
The company uses industrial robots from leading manufacturers and develops proprietary AI software, toolheads, and chemical systems that transform the bots into intelligent, touch-free car washes.
the use of robotic arms to clean cars.
PREEN’s Zurich airport location is a commercially operating site that delivers a fast, high-precision touchless wash. Currently, the in-bay PREEN system is also designed to synchronize with conveyor operations.
Like painting motor vehicles on an assembly line, AI-powered robotic arms keep the toolheads (spray nozzles) a consistent distance from all vehicle surfaces without colliding into anything. This accuracy and precision allow for full coverage of chemical, minimal waste, and optimal impingement of high-pressure water required for touchless cleaning.
According to Alan Gordon, business development executive, PREEN’s robot can provide wash cycles of between three and six minutes or an hourly capacity of between 10 and 20 vehicles while using up to 50 percent less energy and water to do so.
Units are priced in the premium tier of the market and feature lower lifetime costs due to automation, reduced chemical and water use, and minimal maintenance. The initial target market is high-volume clients in B2B and B2C segments that require low downtime, consistency, speed, and damage-free cleaning.
The company plans to enter the U.S. market in the second half of 2025 through a partner-led distribution model and is currently in advanced discussions with a major U.S.-based industry player to secure national distribution and on-the-ground support.
Years ago, kids watched cartoons like The Jetsons with flying cars and robots that cut the lawn, cleaned house, and cooked and served food. Although there are not yet products like this available for the masses, there are robots and “cobots” that help take the drudgery out of many tasks that involve repetitive motions and a high degree of manual dexterity.
This is possible thanks to a robot’s ability to make decisions and act independently without constant human guidance. No doubt, this autonomy will continue to be of great interest to car wash owners and operators as the technological capabilities advance and become readily available.
Bob is an industry consultant with more than 25 years of experience and is a former operator of car wash, oil change, and detail businesses. He can be reached at (727) 723-9474 or bobr427@protonmail.com.