Robot vacuum cleaner
Clean floors without the hassle? Well, that’s the theory at least
We are, somewhat unbelievably, almost a fifth of the way through
the 21st century. Only now is our smart tech starting to catch up with the ideas that future-gazers of the previous century set out for us: we are entering the age of digital servitude. That’s probably a rather grandiose way to set out a look at smart vacuum cleaners, but these are robots that roam around our homes doing the hard work that we don’t want to. Looked at from the viewpoint of the past, that’s about as baffling as having a tiny computer connected to the sum of the earth’s knowledge tucked in your pocket at all times – and taking it for granted, at that.
Accepting the help of a robot isn’t a bad thing, as long as you also accept that they’re often a little imperfect. There are inevitable compromises to make, more with some examples than with others. This might be down to their logic (or lack of it); it might be down to their ability to cope with varying surfaces, it might be a case of different sensor arrays coping better with different rooms, or whether the actual cleaning hardware is up to scratch.
Let’s break down exactly what makes a good robovac. They’re naturally small; squat enough to slide under a coffee table without getting stuck. Ideally, though, they’re also thick enough that they won’t wedge themselves under your sofa. This is a strangely important attribute. Robot vacuum cleaners are surrounded by a host of sensors – some more than others, with a variety of reasoning applied to their placement – and if they don’t happen to sense the presence of a hazard, they’ll blunder into it like the dumb robots they are. The more sensors, the better the internal logic, and so the better the vacuum will perform without needing to be rescued or, in the worst case, scooped up from the bottom of your stairs.
Vac to the future
But what a robovac can see or sense is only the start. A truly good robotic cleaner needs even more than a few sensors – it needs a good capacity for filth, to reduce the number of times you’ll have to empty its dust container. It needs a solid mechanism for cleaning all that muck effectively, to avoid being nothing more than a noisy distraction. And it needs a decent level of smarts. ‘Avoid thing’ is one level, but the ability to create a virtual map of your room is quite another, and some vacs can use this for a much more efficient and safe cleaning routine. A great