Monday, 29th August 2005

Roomba

Does it work, a robotic vacuum cleaner? Some answers from practical experiences.

For sale at iRobotStore.nl

Roomba 2 = Roomba Discovery

Roomba movies

  • In a living room with cat
  • Cam@home

    Roomba manufacturer

    European web site of I-Robot
    1. How much dust does it collect?
    2. Can it climb onto carpets?
    3. Does it get everywhere?
    4. Will it get stuck?
    5. How long does a battery last?

    1. How much dust does it collect?

    A lot. It astonishing. I did a manual vacuum clean before I gave Roomba a chance to improve. The office looked clean to me, but Roomba fully disagreed with me. The blue "extra dirt detected" light switched on several times. Below the couch was quite a thick layer of dust I had never noticed before.

    2. Climbing carpets?

    Yes, easily. Once on the rug Roomba seems to switch into another mode. The carpet now looks great, freshly brushed.

    Most likely it used to be a great dust collector.

    3. Does it get everywhere?

    Yes, pretty much. I just have to brush the dust out of the far part of the corners. The side sweep does not reach that far, but it does get all the dust along all walls.

    4. Get stuck?

    A table with chairs looks like a maze to Roomba. But it does get everywhere and finds it way out too.

    The SUMit storage area is a true maze, with small paths between boxes. Yet Roomba also finds its way out there.

    5. Battery lasts?

    Long enough. The Roomba seems to have higher standards than humans, continues long after I would have stopped already. In the Max setting it lasts about 2 hours before the battery needs a recharge. Roomba will autonomously look for its docking station and starts drinking electricity.

    Tips

    1. Cover fringes of rugs, for example with a piece of old linoleum.
    2. Build bridges over thresholds so Roomba can reach all rooms.
    3. Put cables against the wall, so Roomba does not try to brush them up.
    4. Fix doors with a plug, so Roomba can't lock itself in by closing a door.

    Conclusion

    Thumbs up for Roomba. SUMit HQ has never been so free of dust.

    After a few supervised trials Roomba now works all on its own. Switch it on, leave it alone and clean the dust container a few hours later. Yes, vacuum cleaning can be that easy.

    Till next nut,
    Nut