All about Robot Vacuum cleaners
Robot vacuum cleaners, sometimes referred to as robotic vacuum cleaners are the stuff dreams are made of...a vacuum cleaner that does the cleaning of floors all by themselves!.
The idea is that they work on floor surfaces ranging from full long-pile, to mid-pile carpet to hard floors. Domestic robotic vacuum cleaners are all battery operated, and battery life is generally claimed to be around 1-2 hours depending on the manufacturer, before the vacuum returns to base for a recharge which can take 3-12 hours depending on the brand and the on-board battery type. Some of the really smart robot vacuums can navigate their own way back to the recharger.
One of the beauties of a robot vacuum cleaner is they can access hard to reach places simply - now under-bed areas can be cleaned on a regular basis! The other, of course is they do the work by thenselves.
Sizes of robot vacuums
Sizes of robot vacuums varies, but most fall into the 13-15" diameter and are 3-5" high and weigh in at about 7lbs. Given the sizes of these units, their ideal operating space is one room. A large area or a very dustry/dirty floor could see the dust bucket filled up, requiring the robot vac to be emptied mid-room cycle.
How robot vacuums manoeuvre
Most robot vacuums operate with sensors that help bump guide them around a room. Most are not sophisticated enough to sense a wall or table leg before it hits it, but the bump tells the unit to try to follow what they have hit (i.e a wall). If it cannot (it is not a wall) it will head off in a different direction. These are what are called a random spiral navigation technique.
Some, like the Electrolux models have ultrasonic and infrared sensors that prevent the bumping (especially useful if your home has valuable furniture or objects that may topple over) and also have the capacity to map the room. The stopping distance from objects using these sensors is 1". The Irobot Roomba uses bumping and random spiralling to achieve its floor coverage, but this can lead to some areas being covered several times, while other areas remain uncleaned.
If the robotic vacuum drives into a corner, it will be smart enough to know to back up and head off on a different direction. Some brands, like Irobot Roomba, even come with an invisible door so that doors can be left open without the cleaner escaping into another room.
Brands of robot vacuums
There are many brands of Robot vacuum clears available on the market. This is not an exhaustive list
| IRotot Roomba | Wild Electronics RV-9 |
| ELECTROLUX Trilobite | KARCHER RobocleanerRC3000 |
| Stiftung Warentest | Genius Robotic cleaner |
| Eureka's Robo Vac, | Dyson |
Robotic vacuums prices
For a low end robotic vacuum cleaner such as the Roomba, you can expect to pay anything upwards from US$150. High end units cost nearer US$1500.
Factors to consider when buying a robotic vacuum
- Price - lower priced units are non-programmable and are bump and deflects navigation, while higher end products are programmable, do not bump walls
- Battery life and recharge - these vary considerably
- Dust pans - some have indicators showing when full, which prevents dust and dirt being redeposited onto the floor.
- Removable/replaceable brushes - some higher-end units allow brushes to be easily removed for cleaning - an important aspect if long hair may be on the carpet which can jam brushes.
Shopping Warehouse offers a great range of robotic vacuum cleaners.
Buy a Roomba Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
P3 Robotic Vacuum- Smart Programming To Move Around On Its Own
- Able To Get In & Out Of The Tightest Places
- Clean All Floors Including Carpet, Tile & Wooden Floors
- Built-in Smart Technology
- Automatically Determines 1 Or 3 Preprogrammed Patterns
- 3 Modes
- Random Mode For Tight Spaces
- Spiral Mode For Large Open Areas
- An Along-the-wall Mode For Room Perimeters.
- Read More
Roomba iRobot Roomba White Vacuum - Remanufactured Refurbished
- Roomba Vacuum
- Instructions
- Air filter
- 2 Virtual Walls
- iRobot fast charger
- Measurements: 3.5 inches Tall, 13 Inches Wide, 13 Inches Deep
- Please Note: This is a certified iRobot factory remanufactured item with 90 day limited warranty.
- Read More
iRobot Roomba Burgundy Vacuum - Remanufactured
- Roomba Vacuum
- Instructions
- Air filter
- 2 Virtual Walls
- iRobot fast charger
- Measurements: 3.5 inches Tall, 13 Inches Wide, 13 Inches Deep
- Please Note: This is a certified iRobot factory remanufactured item with 90 day limited warranty.
- Read More
Refurbished iRobot Roomba 560 Vacuum Cleaner - Refurbished This is a re-furbished version of this great machine. No quality has been sacrificed, however, as this robot comes fully backed by a 90 day limited warranty from iRobot.
The iRobot Roomba 560 Vacuum Cleaning Robot features on-board scheduling that allows you to preset up to seven cleaning times per week for Roomba to clean when it's most convenient for you. Roomba systematically cleans four rooms on a single charge, gets into hard-to-reach areas like wall edges and beneath furniture, avoids stairs and automatically adjusts from carpets to hard floors and back again. Each Virtual WallR LighthouseT (2 included) confines Roomba to one room until the entire floor is vacuumed before Roomba moves on to the next room. When its battery is running low, or when the cleaning is complete, Roomba automatically returns to its self-charging Home BaseT to dock and recharge.
It may be circular, but the RoombaR still cleans edges and corners using its spinning side brush, which rotates outside the unit's housing diameter to gather debris from tough-to-reach spots. Just turn it on and walk away!
Standard Features- A smart, efficient vacuum that picks up dirt, dust, pet hair and more from carpets and hard floors
- Cleans the whole floor, under and around furniture and along wall edges
- Automatically adjusts from carpets to hard floors and back again
- Detects dirtier areas and spends more time cleaning them
- Spot Clean provides quick clean-up of spills and concentrated messes
- Automatically senses and avoids stairs and other drop-offs
- Simple to use! Just press the Clean button and Roomba does the rest!
- Automatically returns to its self-charging Home Base to dock and recharge between cleanings
- Each Virtual WallR LighthouseT (2 included) confines Roomba to one room until the entire floor is vacuumed before Roomba moves on to the next room.
- On-board scheduling - preset up to seven cleaning times per week for Roomba to clean when it's most convenient for you
- Faster counter-rotating brushes with improved design pick up more hair, debris and dust and are easy to remove and clean
- Improved filter captures more dust and allergens while a larger bin holds more debris
- Improved anti-tangle technology keeps Roomba from getting stuck on cords, carpet fringe and tassels
- Improved side brush makes Roomba even more efficient at cleaning edges and corners
- 1 iRobot Roomba 560
- 2 Virtual Walls (Each requires 2 C batteries, not included)
- 1 Self-charging Home Base
- 1 Power Supply (3 hour charge time)
- 1 Rechargeable Battery
- 1 Extra Filter
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Robot Vacuum News
8 Feb 2010 - Appliances with eyes, noses and feet - JoongAng Daily
 JoongAng Daily | Appliances with eyes, noses and feet JoongAng Daily Samsung Electronics' robot vacuum cleaner, the Tango, is equipped with a camera that allows it to see where it's going and remember its course. ... |
3 Feb 2010 - SDA Western Europe in 2009 – Most key markets still widely unaffected by ... - GfK Retail and Technology
 GfK Retail and Technology | SDA Western Europe in 2009 – Most key markets still widely unaffected by ... GfK Retail and Technology In the area of Floorcare, Robot Vacuum Cleaners, which is still a smaller segment, grew enormously. Within Kitchen Appliances, Deep Fryers showed a good ... |
31 Jan 2010 - Marriage really scares me: Dannii Minogue - Gaea Times (blog)
Marriage really scares me: Dannii Minogue Gaea Times (blog) ... Minogue is said to have made a peace offering to 'The X Factor' co-judge Cheryl Cole by presenting her with a state-of-the-art robot vacuum cleaner. ... |
31 Jan 2010 - The future is a lot closer than we think - North Shore News
The future is a lot closer than we think North Shore News The iRobot Corp., the company that put robot vacuum cleaners into homes, is developing a robot nurse. The robot nurse can't leap over tall buildings in a ... |
30 Jan 2010 - University helps launch robot centre - The Star
University helps launch robot centre The Star "Since the year 2000 we've seen the emergence of 'service robots', which include robot vacuum cleaners, robots for milking cows and even military robots for ... |
28 Jan 2010 - Neato XV-11 robot vacuum cleans up... logically - Gizmag
Neato XV-11 robot vacuum cleans up... logically Gizmag Contrary to the expectations of the creators of The Jetsons, the robotic vacuums of today generally resemble a floor-crawling disc rather than humanoid ... |
25 Jan 2010 - Meet Marvin, the robot that can plug itself in - Times Online
Meet Marvin, the robot that can plug itself in Times Online Mr Smith suggested it could be used on vacuum cleaners, such as the robot vacuum cleaner, the Roomba. That machine has sold millions, and can navigate its ... |
22 Jan 2010 - General Interest : Roomba 532 Pet Series Vacuum Robot - I Can't Keep My Cat ... - Prudent Press Agency (press release)
 Prudent Press Agency (press release) | General Interest : Roomba 532 Pet Series Vacuum Robot - I Can't Keep My Cat ... Prudent Press Agency (press release) It is a kind of robot vacuum cleaner which does the cleaning for you at a scheduled day and time. After it has done the cleaning it goes back to it's hub to ... |
21 Jan 2010 - How did we miss this laser-scanning super robot vacuum? - CrunchGear (blog)
How did we miss this laser-scanning super robot vacuum? CrunchGear (blog) Not sure how we missed this robotic vacuum but this bugger uses lasers to scan your room and grab dust and lint as it goes ... |
13 Jan 2010 - The Robot Vacuum Is Part Desktop Accessory, Part Appliance - GeekSugar.com (blog)
The Robot Vacuum Is Part Desktop Accessory, Part Appliance GeekSugar.com (blog) This past Monday was Clean Off Your Desk Day, and while I cleaned my desk in its honor, I know it won't be long until it's time for another cleaning. ... |