Storobia

I-Robot Roomba

Robot Vacuum Cleaner

The Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner from iRobot is probbly the most well known hosuehold robot on the market today. Although superficially similar in appearance to the Electrolux Trilobite the Roomba is significantly less expensive which probably accounts for its popularity.

Roomba 500 Series

What is the Roomba?

The Roomba is a low, circular, battery powered robot that is designed to clean domestic floors. It can handle both hard flooring and carpet, however is not designed for deep pile. Rugs with tassles can also cause problems as the tassles become stuck in the unit - these should be removed or blocked off before cleaning.

There have been several versions of the Roomba available to buy since it was first released. Earlier models required the unit to be manually returned to the plug to recharge the batteries, some of the later versions available to buy today have the ability to automatically return to a base station and recharge themselves. The unit includes a number of sensors for collision detection and to (hopefully!) prevent falling down stairs. The robot can also be restricted to certain areas by setting up an infra-red "wall".

Unlike the Trilobite, the AI on the Roomba is simple to the point of being trivial. It makes no attempt to map out the room or "understand" its environment, instead it relies on a combination of simple area covering algorithms and random walks to ensure that most of the room is cleaned. It may miss some spots.

The Roomba's low height means it can access many areas, even under beds. Being circular gives it a problem in corners, however side brushes attempt to sweep dust from the corners out into the path of the main cleaning unit.

Romba 500 Series

At the time of writing the latest addition to the Roomba range is the 500 Series. According to iRobot these machines "feature dramatically improved cleaning coverage, brush design, vacuum pickup and particle filtration". The essential operation is the same, however the component parts have been re-engineered to improve performance and make maintenance of the unit simpler.

Heavier Jobs

The Roomba vacuum is designed for general household work which is where it works best. For heavier jobs such as workshops you might be better off with the Dirt Dog robotic sweeper.



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