Robotic Vacuum Cleaner: Before You Buy, Read Our Reviews
August 30th, 2009 by John Johns
Automation is the order of the day and the robotic vacuum cleaner is increasingly promoting this cause. Though the idea is easy to comprehend from the name, there are lots of things about a robotic vacuum cleaner that people do not know. These automated vacuum cleaners come in different shapes and sizes, but not with too much variation- they are typically circular little pieces that stand at about 5-7 inches off the ground. Major difference between models comes at the level of functionality (and thus pricing).
While a simple robotic vacuum cleaner would cost you somewhere around a 100$ and will do well to clean hard-floors, higher-end models could be priced well up to 3000$ and above, and these are completely self-care taking. Such models are a class apart, as they come with built in computers(often more than one) and efficient sensors to detect changes in terrain, and have provision for transition from floor to rugs or carpets. They also have built-in safety features such as the one that detects stairs using photo sensors and thus keeps it from falling off. Most of these models are capable of identifying ‘dirty’ zones and paying more attention to them. These advanced models are generally of larger dimensions.
Would it not be great to come home to find your house spic and span, without any intervention on your part? These days, most robotic vacuum cleaners are self-docking. That is, they do their job at a fixed time and then recharge automatically. All you have to do is empty the trash can from time to time. One important thing to bear in mind before making a purchase is to go over the features carefully, since each model differs from the other and this, being a one time purchase, must be made with caution. A robotic vacuum cleaner has the ergonomic advantage of being able to access areas that you might find hard to- such as underneath sofas or cots. However, they do not completely replace manual vacuum cleaners and certain areas are inaccessible and will require manual cleaning occasionally. Some of the lower end models require you to be at home while cleaning is taking place since it is not very uncommon for them to get stuck and call for help(beeping noise), especially if you have a few rugs around and are using a simple model. The battery could die out without any cleaning getting done, otherwise.
Models of the robotic vacuum cleaner that use ultrasound radar technology are able to avoid collisions rather than bump into objects and then change course (which could be a bad thing if you have delicate furniture). They also work efficiently in a sense that they make fewer sweeps, covering no place twice and are likely to finish quicker. This might look like it’s not important at first glance, since you are not doing the cleaning anyway, but it must be noted that you always run the risk of stepping foot on the device if it is cleaning too long and you are scurrying about.