De Pere High School welcomes AI-powered ‘Big Red’ to keep classrooms clean

DE PERE (NBC 26) — It doesn’t chat, gossip, or grumble about homework — but De Pere High School’s newest addition is already the talk of campus.

The school has invested $89,000 in a new autonomous floor scrubber, part of a growing wave of artificial intelligence tools making their way into education.

Meet “Big Red”

District leaders recently unveiled the machine, nicknamed Big Red after a student-led naming contest. Capable of scrubbing, squeegeeing, and sanitizing floors for up to six hours without a break, the device is designed to maintain cleanliness while freeing up custodial staff for other important work.

“We call it a Cobot here, because it’s a coworker,” said Noah Wetland, De Pere’s Building and Grounds Director.

“Students think it’s cool. They’re always going to find something like this a really neat addition to the school,” said Christopher Thompson, De Pere's Unified School District Superintendent.

AI Helping, Not Replacing Staff

The autonomous cleaner — officially called the ROVR — navigates the building on its own, learning the best routes to tackle high-traffic areas. While some may worry about AI replacing human roles, district officials say that’s not the case.

“It’s going to do the exact opposite,” Wetland explained. “It allows our cleaning staff to be more strategic with their time.”

Christopher Thompson, De Pere Superintendent of Schools, emphasized the continued importance of custodians:
“Custodians are very valuable for us,” he said. “They’re the ones not just keeping the building clean, but keeping the building running.”

Looking Ahead

Right now, Big Red is still mapping the school. But in the next few years, leaders say they hope to expand the fleet to keep pace with growing building needs.

For students and staff, this innovative coworker is proof that technology can make everyday life — and learning environments — just a little cleaner.