Lasers, sensors and robots, oh my: Some robot vacuums move and clean much better than others
Lasers, sensors and robots, oh my: Some robot vacuums move and clean much better than others
3:43

Lasers, sensors and robots, oh my: Some robot vacuums move and clean much better than others

Kitchen & Household
All robot vacuums will automatically clean your floors. The way one model navigates through a room from another though can be very different. That has a big impact on how long and how well a machine cleans your home. To find out exactly how robot vacuums navigate obstacles in the real world. We built this test room. Inside are objects and challenges designed to mimic what a robot will encounter as it cleans a room. That includes larger furniture like sofas or dressers, smaller things like lamps or tables and chair legs, and even surface irregularities like carpets. Transitions between flooring and electrical cords. A camera mounted above captures a bird's eye view of all of the action. From there we can figure out the path each vacuum takes during its cleaning cycle. This system also allows us to calculate how much of the floor a machine actually covers and the time it takes to do it. There are three types of systems robotic vacuums typically used to navigate a space. The first is a simple collection of collision will brush and Cliff sensors. They tell robots when they hit objects so they can change course or avoid falls. The downside is that they operate in a random fashion with incomplete floor coverage and can take a long time to run. Other robots have the basic array of sensors but navigate with the additional aid of visual sensors. Called v slam or visual simultaneous location and mapping. These optical systems can identify landmarks on the ceiling as well as judge the distance between walls. They also confirm the vacuums relative position in a room in real time and create maps as they clean. Robots that navigate this way tackle rooms more efficiently and systematically than ones that use random motion. As a result, they can cover the same area in a shorter time with better coverage. iRobot's current line of Roombas, such as the i7+ and the s9+, have this kind of navigation system. The same is true of some Ecovacs models. However they have a few drawbacks since their optical sensors need at least some amount of ambient light present. They have trouble finding their way in completely dark rooms and you'll pay extra for these more intelligent robots too. Another way robot vacuums can sense their environment is with Lidar. That's short for Light Detection and Ranging all neato but VAX use this method plus high end eco vac D bots in this sophisticated system to base lasers illuminate objects to figure out their location and distance vacuums equipped with Lidar can also detect the size and shape of things in their path. They actively scan their surroundings, too. That's why these machines tend to cover floors with extreme efficiency. And thanks to the SLAM, or Simultaneous Location and Mapping algorithm, they also create detailed maps on the fly. You can perform useful interactions with those maps, too. For example, you can drop virtual boundaries within them, or make restricted zones at will for the robot to avoid. These vacuums also navigate in the dark if necessary. Just remember, you'll pay a premium for these machines. They occupied the ultra high end rung of the market. Some robot vacuums use everything but the kitchen sink to navigate. That includes brush Cliff will and optical sensors as well as laser emitters at the moment these products are rare and the ones we've seen so far like the electro Luxe pure I nine Have looked a little shaky. With so many tools in their arsenal though they have the potential to get around with uncanny levels of automation and intelligence. Software matters too many robot vacuums are programmed to spend extra time on dirty spots, corners and wall edges. Whether these abilities are present, active or turned off by default Will affect a robot's floor coverage and clean time as well. [BLANK_AUDIO]

Up Next

Amazon Introduces New Ring and Blink Devices
every-new-ring-and-blink-device-revealed-september-2022-00-01-04-01-still001

Up Next

Amazon Introduces New Ring and Blink Devices

Find Free Wi-Fi Near You to Stay Connected
220630-yt-how-to-get-free-wifi-on-the-go

Find Free Wi-Fi Near You to Stay Connected

Incandescent Light Bulbs Are About to Be Extinct
led-bulbs-rebrand-00-00-23-13-still088

Incandescent Light Bulbs Are About to Be Extinct

Eufy Video Doorbell Dual Review: Are Two Cameras Really Better?
eufy-doorbell0

Eufy Video Doorbell Dual Review: Are Two Cameras Really Better?

Amazon Smart Thermostat vs. Wyze Thermostat: Comparing Affordable Smarts
thermostat-vs-thumb-main.png

Amazon Smart Thermostat vs. Wyze Thermostat: Comparing Affordable Smarts

Biggest announcements from Amazon's fall event
amazon-event-1

Biggest announcements from Amazon's fall event

MyQ's smart doggy door can open at your pup's command
ces-2021-myq-pet-portal-10

MyQ's smart doggy door can open at your pup's command

Samsung's newest lineup of CES robots includes a butler to pick up your messes
ces-2021-samsung-robots-20

Samsung's newest lineup of CES robots includes a butler to pick up your messes

Amazon Echo Dot (4th gen) review: Dot, Dot, Dot...
img-2176

Amazon Echo Dot (4th gen) review: Dot, Dot, Dot...

All of the announcements from Amazon's crazy fall event
everything-amazon-announced0

All of the announcements from Amazon's crazy fall event

Tech Shows

The Apple Core
apple-core-w

The Apple Core

Alphabet City
alphabet-city-w

Alphabet City

CNET Top 5
cnet-top-5-w

CNET Top 5

The Daily Charge
dc-site-1color-logo.png

The Daily Charge

What the Future
what-the-future-w

What the Future

Tech Today
tech-today-w

Tech Today

Latest News All latest news

PlayStation 5 Pro Leaked: Everything We Know
playstation5pro-leak-clean

PlayStation 5 Pro Leaked: Everything We Know

Everything Just Revealed at Nvidia's GTC AI Conference
nvidiastill

Everything Just Revealed at Nvidia's GTC AI Conference

Nvidia Reveals Omniverse Cloud Streams to the Vision Pro
nvidia-vision-pro-image

Nvidia Reveals Omniverse Cloud Streams to the Vision Pro

Nvidia Shows Project GROOT and Disney Bots at GTC Conference
robot-2

Nvidia Shows Project GROOT and Disney Bots at GTC Conference

Expert vs. AI: Is Now the Time to Buy an EV?
gettyimages-1178244881

Expert vs. AI: Is Now the Time to Buy an EV?

The PlayStation Portal Built-In Volume Is too Loud: Here's How to Keep It Low
playstation-portal-audio-options-thumb2

The PlayStation Portal Built-In Volume Is too Loud: Here's How to Keep It Low

Most Popular All most popular

First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
innovation

First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
240123-site-samsung-galaxy-s24-ultra-review-4

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost

'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
circlesearchpic

'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen

Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
asus-preces-00-00-25-11-still003

Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop

Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
samsung-galaxy-ring-clean

Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions

Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
240111-site-best-of-ces-2024-1

Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024

Latest Products All latest products

First Look: The $349 Nothing Phone 2A Aims to Brighten Your Day
240304-site-nothing-phone-2-first-look-v3

First Look: The $349 Nothing Phone 2A Aims to Brighten Your Day

Best of MWC 2024: Bendable Screens, AI Wearables and More
240229-site-best-of-show-at-mwc

Best of MWC 2024: Bendable Screens, AI Wearables and More

This Concept Laptop from Lenovo Has a Transparent Display
240225-site-lenovo-translucent-laptop-concept-v3

This Concept Laptop from Lenovo Has a Transparent Display

Motorola's Rollable Concept Phone Wraps on Your Wrist
240225-site-motorola-rollable-concept

Motorola's Rollable Concept Phone Wraps on Your Wrist

See Adobe Lightroom on the Apple Vision Pro
adobe-lightroom-00-02-58-03-still006-1

See Adobe Lightroom on the Apple Vision Pro

This $400 Cane Has a Built-In Phone
p1022441-mp4-15-35-32-23-still001

This $400 Cane Has a Built-In Phone

Latest How To All how to videos

Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
240311-site-windows-11-hidden-tips-and-tricks-v2

Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features

Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
VisionOS 1.0.3

Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3

Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra
240216-site-galaxy-s24-ultra-tips-and-hidden-features-2

Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra

TikTok Is Now on the Apple Vision Pro
tiktok-on-vision-pro-clean

TikTok Is Now on the Apple Vision Pro

Get Your TV Ready for the Big Game: Super Bowl Setup Tips
superbowl-tv-settings-thumb1

Get Your TV Ready for the Big Game: Super Bowl Setup Tips

How to Use a Quest 3 Like the Vision Pro
240202-site-spatial-computing-on-meta-quest-3

How to Use a Quest 3 Like the Vision Pro