Facility managers, building service contractors, and university faculty watched the world’s most widely deployed commercial cleaning drone clean a building exterior in Malibu – no scaffolding, rope access or boom lifts required.

MALIBU, CA. — On July 25, 2026, Apellix, the Jacksonville, Florida-based manufacturer of autonomous and semi-autonomous power washing drones, demonstrated live at Pepperdine University in Malibu how facility managers are using its Power Wash Drone platform to reduce building exterior maintenance costs while removing one of the most persistent safety liabilities in commercial real estate: elevated work. The Apellix Power Wash Drone is the most widely deployed commercial cleaning drone in the world, with active operators in 21 countries across five continents.

Apellix, the U.S. manufacturer of NDAA-compliant drones, demonstrated autonomous drone power washing live at Pepperdine University in Malibu, showcasing its AirShift and AirTrace AI autonomy features before an audience of facility managers, building service contractors, and the Pepperdine professors that invited Apellix to Malibu.

"Apellix drones are powerful tools, but the pilot remains the commander. Apellix Intelligence (AI) is a copilot for cleaning drone operations - reducing the cognitive workload of flying, helping operators stay focused on the mission, and providing the insights needed to measure and document the project's success."

— Shivam Tripathy, Robotics Engineer at Apellix and technical lead in the development of Apellix Intelligence (AI)

About Apellix
Apellix' Power Wash Drone is the most widely deployed commercial cleaning drone worldwide, with active operators in 21 countries and 5 continents as of 2026. Founded in 2014, Apellix designs and manufactures autonomous drones for power washing, spray painting, inspection, and building maintenance. Apellix has National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) compliant systems, employs disabled veterans, and is flown by the U.S. Army.