Robbie our best new friend SMART MAPPING
Robot really sucks – and leaves a clean sweep
MY NIECE, aged three, doesn’t like noise. Hand dryers, hair dryers, vacuum cleaners ... they send her into the lap of the nearest adult until the noise has stopped. But she loves robots. So, when we told her we had a Deebot 710 vacuum cleaner at home to try she was wideeyed and excited.
“Will it talk to me?” she asked. And I had to admit, I had no idea.
My only exposure to robot vacuum cleaners was the viral videos of the cat whizzing around the lounge room on top of said cleaner.
We’re a dyed in the wool Dyson household. What possible need could I have for anything else?
We road tested the Deebot 710 for a month.
Our house has 300sq m of floor space so a reasonable amount to cover.
I was really intrigued to see how it would cope with the space, the change of surfaces (tiles and carpets) and how it would navigate our furniture. The Deebot 710 is equipped with smart mapping technology – so it systematically maps and plans an efficient cleaning path across your floors.
The first time it did it, there was lots of bumping into furniture, telling us its bumpers were off and returning to the dock and starting again.
But with each clean, as it got to know the lay of the land, the clean became more methodical and thorough. And heaps quicker too. It has anti-drop sensors to clean around stairs.
Its anti-collision sensors and soft cushion bumpers enable the unit to avoid obstacles and protect furniture.
But we found it can do more than a straightforward clean.
With two dogs in the house and freshly cut grass there’s been a fair bit of garden debris being dragged into the house.
The Deebot 710 has a great spot clean functionality that sees it operating wherever you place it and going in a big circle to ensure it has cleaned up what you need.
MAX MODE SUCTION
The unit also has a max mode that delivers increased suction when needed – particularly if you have a combination of floor surfaces – and you can control it via your phone or voice command through Google Home and Amazon Echo.
You can set the vacuum to clean at set days and times of the week and track its progress through the Ecovacs Home app.
When it’s done, the vacuum will send a map to your phone app, so you can see how the cleaning has been accomplished.
Karen Powell, of Ecovacs, said: “We’ve been able to combine our latest mapping technology with adjustable suction power and connectivity with smart devices so that users can enjoy an easy to use and comprehensive cleaning experience.
“To be able to deliver all of this for under $500 is particularly exciting.”
Deebot 710 is powered by a 2600mAh lithium battery with a 110-minute working time once fully charged.
When battery power gets low the robot automatically goes back to its charging dock.
I was really impressed with it, although it wasn’t really a time-saving device for me as I followed it around, mesmerised. And my niece’s verdict? She loved it because it made no noise and it chatted away to her. She named it Robbie.
AUSTRALIAN PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
The Deebot 710 is available for $499 on eBay and from Amazon soon.