In recent years, the popularity of robotic vacuum cleaners has been growing, and manufacturers do not get tired of coming up with new functionality for smart home helpers. At first, such vacuum cleaners, in full accordance with the name, only collected dust, then they "learned" to do wet cleaning, and more recently they also clean themselves. We figure out what is the use of cleaning robots and what to look for when choosing.
What is a Robot Vacuum Cleaner
A robot vacuum cleaner is a household appliance for cleaning a house or apartment with minimal or no human intervention. The device runs on a battery that is charged on a special base (it comes with the kit and connects to a regular outlet). Wheels and sensors allow the vacuum cleaner to move around the room, avoid obstacles and collect debris in an internal container. Depending on the model, the device may have other functions, for example, performing wet cleaning or transferring the image from the camera to the owner's phone.
How does a robot vacuum cleaner work?
The main task of the robot vacuum cleaner is maintenance dry cleaning. It collects up to 90% of garbage, but to keep the apartment clean at least once a week, you still have to take up the mop. None of the robots on the market today will clean an apartment the way a human can. But with the participation of the robot, the person will have to clean less - the main thing is to set up the device for regular garbage collection, and to clean the brushes and the dust collector in a timely manner.
Modes in which the robot vacuum cleaner can work
- Auto mode. The robot will scan the room, build a map, calculate walls and obstacles and build a trajectory taking them into account.
- Zigzag movement. This mode is optimal for large rooms with a minimum of furniture.
- Cleaning of corners. Having reached the wall, the robot will move along it along the perimeter of the room.
- Spot cleaning. The work will focus on particularly contaminated areas.
- Wet cleaning. Depending on the model of the robot, this can be a "wipe" (a cloth is attached to the bottom and wetted by hand) or a water tank, which is installed instead of or together with a dust collector (in this case, water is supplied to the cloth automatically).
Filter
The robot vacuum cleaner is equipped with a fine filter - electrostatic or HEPA (high particle retention air filter), which removes the finest dust, allergens and microorganisms from the air.
Camera
Built-in cameras allow the device to build a map of the room and calculate the best trajectory of movement, and some models even transmit images to a smartphone. These options are not available on every model.
Sensors
- A pollution sensor analyzes the condition of the room and selects the intensity of cleaning.
- Optical, infrared and ultrasonic sensors help the vacuum cleaner to avoid collisions, run over wires and bypass stairs. By the way, because of the sensors, some devices refuse to enter the subfloor, perceiving it as a difference in height. It will not be difficult to outwit smart technology: if there are no critical drops in the room, the sensors can be glued.
- The laser sensor divides the space into sections for even cleaning.
Timer
It can be used to set the time and/or days for cleaning.
Dock station
The robot "lives" on the base when it is not working. It is better that it is not very large and charges the vacuum cleaner in 5-6 hours.
Pros of robotic vacuum cleaners
- Such a vacuum cleaner cleans the house on its own, saves time.
- Not only collects dust, but also performs wet cleaning.
- Compact, does not take up much space.
- Works on schedule. You can select a program once, and he will start cleaning at a certain time, even if the owner of the house himself forgot about it.
- Doesn't require expensive accessories (brushes and filters).
- Spare parts for such a vacuum cleaner are relatively inexpensive.
- It is easy to use: you just need to regularly shake out the container with dust, add water, and clean the brushes.
- The vacuum cleaner itself will warn you when the container is full and when you should add water.
- It is not difficult to understand the settings and the application for the operation of the robot vacuum cleaner, usually, the controls are made intuitive.
- Able to maintain cleanliness in the absence of owners for a long time. You can go on vacation and return to a clean apartment.
- Some models allow you to connect to the robot's camera via a smartphone and check what happens when the owners are not at home.
- Maneuverable climbs under the sofa and wardrobes.
- Good for pet hair.
Cons of robotic vacuum cleaners
- Budget models will require attention from time to time, because of weak sensors they will have to be rescued from "traps": wires, thresholds that are too high, low furniture, chair legs, and so on.
- Caring for your robot requires minimal but constant effort. The container must be cleaned after each cleaning. The turbo brush is often clogged and also requires cleaning.
- Wet cleaning with a robot vacuum cleaner is a lot of hassle: you need to fill a container, rinse a cloth, pour out the water. Some may find it easier to use a mop or rag.
- Robots do not deal well with dried spots, so even after wet cleaning, the floor will not be perfectly clean.
- Such a device is not suitable for cleaning rooms with carpets on the floor: it gets stuck and chews on them. You will have to lift the carpet, and after the robot clean it separately with an ordinary vacuum cleaner.
- Such a device is not suitable for cleaning rooms with carpets on the floor: it gets stuck and chews on them. You will have to lift the carpet, and after the robot clean it separately with an ordinary vacuum cleaner.
- The robot vacuum cleaner cannot climb stairs. If the dwelling is multi-level, you will have to move the device from floor to floor, or buy several devices.
- The room will have to be prepared for cleaning: remove wires, toys, clothes from the floor.
