Robotics is increasingly finding applications beyond manufacturing and logistics, with traditional service industries also exploring how automation can change the way work is delivered. Commercial cleaning is one such sector, where drones and AI-powered software could help businesses identify opportunities, manage projects, and reduce some of the operational challenges associated with conventional maintenance.
SkyPSI is bringing these technologies together through Operator+, a free application designed to help independent drone operators find and manage commercial exterior cleaning jobs.
The platform maps 17.1 million commercial buildings and generates estimated prices for drone-powered cleaning projects. According to the company, the average job represented in the application is worth approximately $13,500.
Users can access the estimates with a Google account. The application also includes scheduling, customer and job management, online invoicing, and an AI-powered virtual assistant. Paid subscriptions provide additional access to contact information for the decision-makers responsible for commercial property contracts.
Combining AI, property intelligence, and drones for independent operators
Operator+ is built around three main capabilities: commercial building mapping, automated project estimates through SkyEstimate, and an AI assistant called Sky.
SkyEstimate calculates the potential value of cleaning an individual building and explains the methodology behind the estimate. The feature is intended to help operators evaluate potential projects and prepare quotes without relying entirely on manual calculations or guesswork.
Sky, meanwhile, functions as a virtual crew chief, answering questions and helping operators identify buildings that match their crews’ capabilities.
The application also integrates several business management tools, including scheduling, customer records, job tracking, and online invoicing. While these features are available through the free account, paid subscriptions add immediate contact information for commercial property decision-makers. New accounts also receive a 30-day Starter trial.
The platform reflects a broader approach to applying automation to traditional service businesses. Rather than focusing exclusively on replacing manual tasks, SkyPSI is using software to address other barriers to entering the market, particularly customer acquisition and project pricing.
For founder Vic Pellicano, access to commercial opportunities has historically been unevenly distributed between large contractors and independent operators.
“Every building in your city is a job somebody is going to get paid for. The only question is whether you know about it,” Pellicano said.
SkyPSI’s business model also extends beyond the application itself. The company sells commercial cleaning contracts, trains and certifies independent operators, provides professional cleaning drones, and stands behind the completed jobs.
The technology is particularly relevant to exterior building maintenance, where conventional facade cleaning can involve workers operating at considerable heights using ropes and specialized equipment.
Drone-powered cleaning offers an alternative in which operators can perform certain tasks from the ground while an FAA-certified pilot controls the aircraft. According to SkyPSI, this approach could make more frequent facade maintenance economically viable, allowing properties that previously received annual cleaning to be serviced several times a year.
The company estimates that commercial cleaning could become an $860 billion market by 2034 and claims that robots currently handle barely 1% of commercial cleaning work. These figures illustrate the market opportunity SkyPSI sees for introducing automation into an industry that remains heavily dependent on traditional operating methods.
Operator+ follows the company’s initial launch in August 2026 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Although its initial operations focused on that market, the application is now accessible to operators in other locations, including Phoenix, Pittsburgh, and Portland.
SkyPSI also plans to extend the platform beyond exterior cleaning. Its underlying infrastructure is designed to accommodate additional commercial equipment and services, potentially allowing operators to access more business opportunities through the same system.
Pellicano sees this development as part of a wider shift in the relationship between robotics and entrepreneurship.
“I grew up in a trailer park and lived out of my car. Nobody told me which direction to head to,” he said. “Operator+ is the map. It tells a working person where the money is on their own street, and it doesn’t cost them a dime to look.”
The founder also outlined the company’s broader ambition: “The robot economy is going to create millions of small businesses. Cleaning is the first door we’re opening. It won’t be the last.”
By combining AI assistance, commercial property data, and drone-based services, SkyPSI is betting that the next stage of automation will involve not only changing how traditional work is performed, but also creating new opportunities for independent businesses to participate in technology-driven industries.
