Robot Vacuums
January 18, 2012
Achoo! Rydis H800 Air Purifier
Moneual, the company that brought you the Rydis H1004 Vacuum last year, has come out with a new product for those who suffer from allergies or asthma. The H800 purifies the air with HEPA and activated carbon filters and can manage this for 4 hours on a full charge. While it has not yet appeared on Moneual's site, we figure it would be a perfect product if they could just get it to suck up those dust bunnies under the bed.
Via Moneual
September 5, 2011
Toshiba Smarbo Robotic Vacuum
Toshiba has joined in the robot vacuum arena with the Smarbo. The VC-BR100 has 38 gyro and infrared sensors, a camera and accelerometers to map out where it has been so it doesn't clean the same space. Cleaning is accomplished in parallel lines and it can handle 1076 sq. ft. in a 90 minute cycle. When finished or stopped, it returns to its starting point. All that technology will cost you. Sales will start in Japan in October with a price of $1,175.
Via Akihabara News
January 14, 2011
Must Have: Mint Performs Dance Routine
In order to draw attention to its Mint, Evolution Robotics staged a dance routine with a dozen of them. On display at the CES, they robotically got down to "Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas during a Las Vegas fashion show. This video clearly shows the swiffer-like cleaners' versatility but you have to wonder who came up with the idea and laboriously choreographed the routine. It may be one reason that it won the Innovations 2011 Design and Engineering Award.
Via Mint
January 6, 2011
Scooba 230 Cleans Where You Would Rather Not
IRobot has a new Roomba designed for that nasty area around your toilet or other tight places. The 3.5 x 6.5" Scooba 230 will be out this spring at a price of $299.99 and has a 3-stage cleaning system that washes, scrubs and squeegees floors. The company will debut the system at the CES 2011 along with its new The Roomba 700 series.
Via iRobot
November 25, 2010
Roomba Holiday Deals
It's Roomba Holiday Time! Whether you prefer a basic 530 Roomba, Dirt Dog or 532 Pet Series, iRobot offers all kinds of specials, including free shipping on purchases over $50.00 and a free hard floor cleaner with Scooba purchase.
Via iRobot Store
October 19, 2010
iRobot Debuts Next-Gen Robots
iRobot introduced its 5th generation Roomba at a recent a press event in New York, built with modular parts that can easily be replaced. It also has iAdapt technology, an internal sensor that "listens' for dirt rather than mapping and memorizing a room.
CEO Colin Angle spoke about the company's chembot being developed by the University of Chicago that he described as a"shape shifting, amorphous, squishable blob that can roll itself."
Kudos also goes to the company that launched their Seaglider, developed at the University of Washington and licensed by iRobot, that is still in the Gulf. It captures and monitors samples to detect oil as far down as 1,000 meters as well as reportng a wide variety of data, including measuring the level of dissolved oxygen.
Via PC World
September 24, 2010
Must Have: Mint Duster/Mopper
The Mint has finally arrived. The automatic dusting/wet mopping robot will make you send your baby Swiffer to a corner, even though you can use its cleaning cloths when the ones that come with the cleaning bot run out. Developed by NorthStar, its square design helps it in corners and sensors help it adapt to differing environments and floor types. It goes 3 hours on a charge, works under furniture and is mostly low maintenance.
Via The Mint
August 19, 2010
Neato Ready to Rumble
The Neato XV-11 Robot Vacuum Cleaner is finally available to the masses. This robotic vacuum makes mental notes on its surroundings, cleans the perimeter, including corners, then runs back and forth along the center to finish the room by segments. Good for about an hour's worth of work per charge, the Neato will set you back $399.95.
Via Neato Robotics at
The Laser Guided Robotic Vacuum.
April 13, 2010
iRobot Teams With Jabil Circuit
This might be a good time to invest in iRobot stock. The Roomba maker has entered into an agreement with electronic parts maker Jabil Circuit. The company will make, test and supply iRobots consumer products, allowing the bot manufacturer to "diversify key elements of our supply chain, provide geographic flexibility to address new markets with localized operations and expand overall capacity to meet growing demands."
Via Business Wire
April 12, 2010
LG Hosts Robot Vacuum Soccer Tournaments
In an effort to promote their new robotic vacuums, LG has decided to hold a soccer tournament in Seoul, Korea. Thirty two teams will vie April 14 for 42" LED Canvas LG TVs. You can sign up to participate here. The rest of you will have to be content with merely sucking up dust bunnies.
Via Akihabara News
March 22, 2010
G182 Vacuums, Plays Security Guard
The G182 vacuum will clean your floors, automatically docks for recharging, then can become your very own security unit. The Smart Robot features a 360ยบ degree pan and tilt, a WiFi IP camera and microphone so you can get the bugger to not only watch out for your stuff, but berate those who may covet it. Its virtual wall will keep it from running over your cat or falling down stairs. The vacuum comes from Chinavasion, a site that has a cheaper less expensive version of almost everything, except in this case as the G182 will set you back $494.78.
Via Chinavasion
March 2, 2010
Roombas Enlist in the Navy
It seems we are not the only ones who dig Roombas. CS3 Scooba Stevens, Chief Miles O'Brien and ITSN Unger are part of the Navy's efforts to robotize the USS Freedom. Lt. Ed Early, the Freedom's spokesperson, claims that they have a whole fleet of them. Since the military has employed iRobot in many of its projects, we wonder if they get a hefty discount.
Via Military Times
January 21, 2010
Mint Uses Cloths to Dust and Wet Mop
Evolution Robotics has unveiled the Mint, a robotic mop that can dust or wet mop hard surface floors by using Swiffer-type cleaning cloths. The bot is designed to get into corners or baseboards and can go under furniture. Its advanced navigational system has light sensor feedback for cleaning around obstacles while not missing the dirtiest parts of the floor. The Mint can clean for 3 - 4 hours (~1,000 sq. ft.) before needing a recharge and will retail for about $250.00 when it becomes available later this year.
Via Mint Cleaner
January 15, 2010
Robot Snob Must Have: Roomba
We are thinking of dating things from now on as B.R. and A.R., before and after Roomba. While we get to play with lots of shiny electronic toys, this holiday we caved and purchased our own robotic vacuum. We not only got free shipping with our basic 400, we also got a pet maintenance kit. We hate to use that word "awesome" but honestly, it truly is. After its initial charge, we let it loose in our upstairs hall to make sure all was well and it purred away.
The Roomba went into the bathroom and back down the hall, then did what iRobot says will never happen. It went down all 13 stairs to the first floor. But the great god of all things electronic was watching over us as it only lost the removable bin and started up again with nary a scratch.
Watching the robobot run back and forth while we were doing other nasty chores was so endearing that we almost started talking to it. We don't even mind the noise that many complain about. There are a couple of negatives, however. If you have very furry pets you need to clean the brush often and the vacuum does not like shag carpeting. That being said, head over to iRobot and find a Roomba you can call your own.
Via iRobot Roomba
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