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Robot Vacuum cleaners Demystified - What can a vacuum Cleaner Robot Do For
you?
What is a Robot Vacuum cleaner?
Yes! It does exactly what you are
thinking, it vacuums. Unlike your conventional vacuum cleaner, however, this one
is slightly different... well it's smart. We are not referring to artificial
intelligence or anything like that. It simply does what you ask it to do, when
you want it done without having to interfere or drag it around.robotic vacuum cleaner
A robot
vacuum cleaner will vacuum your hard and carpet floors and retain the dirt in a
catcher that can be emptied now and then. When it has finished, the robot vacuum
cleaner settles on its docking station or speaks to inform you that it is done
cleaning. Not bad huh!
What does it look like?
Size matters
Most
robot vacuum cleaners like Roomba and Infinuvo Cleanmate are round shaped and
stand at 3 to 4 inches high and roughly 12 inches in diameter...
The
shell...
On the top part of the unit you will find the control panel. Some
have one or two buttons, others many and others even have an LCD monitor. How
about that!
On the front end of the unit is attached a half moon shaped
spring-loaded or light touch bumper depending on the brand and model. The bumper
serves as a sensor for obstacles (walls, furniture, etc. )#).
The belly
of the beast...
The robot vacuum sits on 3 wheels and is rigged with one or
many brushes, depending on the model. You will also notice a variety of sci-fi
looking sensors that provide your little friend some intelligence. These sensors
are used to detect stairs or other obstacles.
How does a Robot vacuum
cleaner work?
Initially the robot sits quietly on its docking station, which
most of them have. Keep in mind to settle the robot and the docking station in a
open area. Avoid closets or other cramped spaces as they make it very difficult
for your robot vacuum cleaner to navigate away and back to the
station.
The docking station has one main function, to charge the
batteries in between cleaning cycles. How does the robot find its way back to
the station you might ask? Good question.
The station casts a light beam
to a distance of about 6 feet in a "V" shape which serves as a beacon. During
the cleaning cycle, if the robot vacuum senses the light beam, it steers clear
of the docking station. Once the cycle is complete or the battery runs down, the
robot uses the light beam to happily head home to its docking station. Robot
owners without a docking station may manually connect the vacuum to an outlet
for charging using the power supply unit provided with the robot.
On the
scheduled days and time, the robot vacuum cleaner powers out of the station for
work. It will not return until the cleaning cycle is complete or its battery
runs low. In the event of a battery run-down prior to completing the cleaning
cycle, the robot will abort the cleaning cycle and find its way back to station.
The schedule is embedded in the robots program memory. A simple button sequence
allows you to set your preferred schedule.
Finding its way around:
Navigation
No need to sit around while your robot vacuum performs a cleaning
cycle. The robot navigates using an integrated technology providing them with 4
to 5 cleaning modes. For example the robot vacuum cleaner can use a circle or
spiral shape pattern to cover the area. Other modes include following the walls
to the center of the room, zigzagging, criss-crossing in diagonals, and more. It
is all part of your robots intelligence!
Vacuum and no-vacuum zones you
ask? The Roomba vacuum cleaner gets a little help from virtual walls and/or
lighthouses. Virtual walls are included with some models and can be sold
separately. This unit sends out an infrared light beam that serves as a gate or
virtual wall. When the Robot Vacuum senses the light signal, the unit changes
direction to avoid the zone.robotic vacuum cleaner
Lighthouses also feature the infrared light
beam like the virtual wall, but is are also equipped with a radio-frequency
technology designed to help your robot vacuum cleaner to self position and
improve cleaning efficiency. Basically, lighthouses are beacon-like units that
allow the robot to self position and navigate its way back to the docking
station, just like ships on the ocean use lighthouses to avoid rocky collisions
with the coast and get safely back to port. But, robot vacuums have a great
advantage over ships, they can't sink! Unless of course you have a swimming pool
in the middle of your living room!
Infinuvo CleanMate vacuums by Metapo
simply rely on its navigation ability as virtual walls and lighthouses are note
available.
What are its limitations?
Lets get started with what a
robot vacuum will definitely not do for you. For example, robot vacuum cleaners
will not act as a moderator or get involved in home or office disputes, although
they can help by taking away the hassle of vacuum cleaning! They might improve
your social life in many ways. Imagine impressing your guests with your robot
vacuum cleaner by scheduling a cleaning cycle while you share appetizers and
drinks.
Here are some important limitations:
Those nifty robots do
not operate well beyond a 30 to 35 degree slope, but you hopefully have level
floors.
They are not capable of vacuuming stairways.
Robot vacuum cleaner
light sensors will not work on dark black surfaces as the light can
reflect.
Keep in mind that robot vacuum cleaners are designed to vacuum
floors and carpets. They are not engineered for washing floors. A floor washing
robot called Scooba has already been designed for that purpose. Note also that
it is not recommended to use a floor cleaning robot on non-sealed hardwood
floors or laminates.
You will find robot vacuum cleaners do an excellent
job at taking away the dirt, but keep in mind they don't benefit from a
peripheral vision like you and I do. Therefore, you might find missed particles
on rare occasions... but don't ground your loyal robot, it's really doing its
best!
Where can i purchase a Robot vacuum cleaner?
Here! Of course!
Well, the reason we have so much to say about robot vacuum cleaners is our five
happy years experience with these neat machines. We carry many models from the
most basic to the souped-up, fully-loaded.
How about maintenance? So glad
you asked! We run a robot vacuum cleaner specialty shop to perform maintenance,
diagnostics, and repairs on these cool little machines. With all this expertise
under our belts, we have decided to go one step further by offering you a five
year limited lifetime warranty on Roomba robot vacuum cleaners.
We call
ourselves RobotShop, the World's Leading Source for Domestic and Professional
Robot Technology. Look us up on the web at robotshop. us or robotshop. ca. If
you are already aware of them and perhaps own one, but would like to know more,
look up the following articles brought to you by the same
author:
Choosing the right Robot Vacuum cleaner for your needs
Roomba
and Infinuvo CleanMate Robot Vacuum cleaner Setup for Optimal
Performance
Roomba and Infinuvo CleanMate Robot Vacuum cleaners Recommended
Maintenance and basic Troubleshooting from home Before Sending Your Fellow to
the Shop
Roomba mania
By Ian Reid in collaboration with Julie Gendron,
Domestic Robot Specialist and Technician
Find out more on Roomba,
Infinuvo CleanMate robot vacuum cleaners, parts and available
accessories.robotic vacuum cleaner
Robot Vacuum cleaners Demystified is a series of 5 articles
about Roomba and Infinuvo CleanMate robot vacuum cleaners.
Visit
RobotShop.com for more information on RobotShop products and services.. |
