Robot fleet control, in your pocket

O-Robotics develops autonomous robot sweepers that keep large outdoor surfaces clean year-round, using mechanical cleaning instead of chemicals. I defined the UX for the client-facing control center used to configure, monitor and manage a fleet of robots.

The outcome

O-Robotics is now building its control center on a clear, prioritised UX blueprint instead of a long list of possible features.

Mobile-first
Fleet supervision
2024

The product: A client-facing control center for a fleet of autonomous robot sweepers.
The challenge: Decide what operators really need to control, and make autonomous work visible.
My role: Freelance UX/UI Designer, owning the UX architecture and core interaction patterns.

Role: Freelance UX/UI Designer
Scope: UX only · fleet management · scheduling · monitoring · mapping · notifications
Year: 2024
Collaboration: Reviewed the final UI with the UI designer

My ownership

UX architecture
Feature prioritisation
Core interaction patterns
Robot control workflows
Geolocation and route visibility

What I did

Key contributions

Selected wireframes. The product is still in development - happy to walk you through more in a call.

Key decision

Mobile-first, built to grow into a desktop control center

The robots clean large outdoor areas such as parking lots, industrial and warehouse sites, and zoos - so operators are rarely at a desk. Together with the team, we chose a mobile-first approach: the control center lives in the operator’s pocket and works wherever they are on site.

The information architecture and core patterns were designed to scale, so the same foundation can grow into a full desktop control center for fleet planning and reporting.

Deciding what operators need to control

The product had many possible capabilities. I ran a feature-prioritisation workshop to align product goals with user value, and built the core experience around starting and changing activities, checking status, planning work, following routes and responding to alerts.

Making autonomous work visible and controllable

Even when a robot works independently, users need to understand what it is doing. I defined patterns for real-time status, robot parameters, activity modes and camera access, plus a manual control mode for when a robot needs help - so operators can supervise remotely without constant hands-on control.

Designing around location, routes and schedules

I designed map-based visibility of cleaning areas, no-go zones, robot position and the docking station, together with route tracking and scheduled operations. Users can see where robots are, where they work and when planned work will happen.

Wireframe of the map with areas, no-go zones and the docking station

Collaboration and handoff

My role focused on UX rather than the final visual design. I defined the core functionality and interaction logic, then reviewed the UI designer’s work for usability, consistency and how the intended behaviour was translated.

Outcome

Deliverables

Defined the core UX for a client-facing robot control center
Prioritised the functionality needed for fleet operation and supervision
Interaction patterns for modes, activity control and real-time status
UX for geolocation, route visibility and scheduled operations
Notifications and access to built-in camera streams
A UX foundation for remote management of multiple robots

Next case study · VRpilotOne clear path to the cockpit

Working on a complex product? Let’s talk.

Tell me what you are building and let’s see how I can help. I usually reply with a few questions and a suggestion for a short intro call.

Email: mell.mineva@gmail.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/elitsa-mineva/
Location: Denmark · Aarhus