Artificial Intelligence Robots & Robotics Gadgets

Gizmos & Gadgets: I’m So Much of a Nerd that I want This Robo-Vacuum for My Birthday

September 6, 2014

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September 6, 2014 – In our apartment I often do the vacuuming. We have a Dyson upright but now Dyson has come out with a robo-vacuum to challenge the iRobot line of Roombas. Called the Dyson 360 Eye it is the first self-navigating robot with 360 degree vision.

The top of the robot houses a panoramic camera. In addition the Dyson 360 Eye is packed with infrared sensors that triangulate position and use landmarks within a room to navigate. Using the combination of camera and sensors the vacuum learns its environment within millimeter accuracy. Dyson even supplies a smart phone control app that works with your Apple and Android devices.

Of course Dyson uses a compact version of its unique cyclone technology which can be found on our current Dyson model. This further differentiates it from the Roombas of the world.

Cleaning follows a grid pattern with the robot never extending its path beyond its own width. Tank treads manage changes in elevation in floor surfaces and a variety of cleaning heads can handle both hard and carpeted surfaces. The technology includes mapping ability which eliminates the randomness of movement often seen in robot vacuums. It makes intelligent decisions to avoid objects and should it encounter a dead end plots a path to continue cleaning operations. Dyson claims it has spent $300 million U.S. developing the robot and has filed over 420 patent applications in the process.

So nerd alert to my wife. The vacuum cleaner which goes on sale in Japan in the spring of 2015 won’t be available in North America until late next year. So I’m willing to defer my 2015 birthday gift to get this gadget for our home. And I can hardly wait to see how my dog Maya will interact with it when it begins wandering around our place.

To watch the vacuum in operation check out the YouTube video.