iRobot's Roomba

[yxboom]

ok so there was a Roomba Pro for half price internet sale at Linen's N Things. Researched, the only difference besides cosmetic between the Pro and Elite were a remote (infrared so you have to be in a direct line to it, now thats lazy) and a setting called Max which tells the Roomba to run until the battery is dead, thats pretty cool but no way a selling point since the Large setting does an efficient job already for a 20'x20' room. So anyway for over a hundred dollars less I can get the Pro and buy a remote (if I really get that bad off for $20). Anyway the deal was too good to pass up so we got one, I got it the last day of the sale so sorry.

My wife, was totally skeptical and my kids were looking forward to another toy. It was a bit larger than I expected. After charging the battery I took it for a whirl. I pressed the approriate room size button, it played a little ditty and went on it's way. Must say we first thought it was pretty retarded the way it would spin and run into everything (it has a soft, skidfree bumper so no harm done). I didn't see how it would possibly cover the whole floor the way it seemed to have this hap-hazard pattern unless you run it for a week and give it enough time. But after seeing this thing go and how it managed to get the floors spot-free and actually managed to clean the entire floor (with furniture intact) in under 30 mins I was impressed. After it's second pass it seemed to "learn" the layout of the room. It is definately worth the purchase if you were in the market for one and considering it or just hate to sweep and vacuum.

[Amazing Rando]

I tried to add one to our bridal registry for the wedding, but the fiancee wouldn't let me! :frown:

[luv1another]

:huh: Im guessing from Booms post this is a robot that cleans floors :eh:

[yxboom]

:huh: Im guessing from Booms post this is a robot that cleans floors :eh:
Its a vacuum that operates on its own.

[luv1another]

cool I could use one of those... hadn't heard of it till today... uh does it pick up clothes and rubbish too :teeth:

[NSMinistries]

and here I thought I was lazy...

[$cirisme]

I knew ever since I showed you and how excited you got that you would get one. :teeth:

[yxboom]

...and I told you I would :hehe:

[$cirisme]

Pics, pics, pics!

[yxboom]

Pics, pics, pics! :shifty:

ok well here it is charging in its own little corner

the silver things in the back of it are the virtual walls, one is somewhat hidden by the curtain.

[Amazing Rando]

You need to give it a name, boom.

[yxboom]

Peg(gy Bundy) :hehe:

[robologist]

Meant to comment when I first saw this, these little vacuum robots arte so cool. I've seen one at a robot hobbyist meeting, tooling around and think that Irobot did very well putting this little thing together. Sounds like you got a great deal Boom, and hope you enjoy the new little helper.

I've been wondering what would be more acceptable to people, little innocuous special purpose machines like these, or a full size anthorpomorphic general purpose robot? Not that the later is going to be available any time soon, but just a bit of speculation. Or have there been too many movies like Terminator and the soon to be released I Robot with Will Smith to give folks the willys about humanoid robots?

[yxboom]

I would have a problem dumping out a life size woman robot, instead of a disk looking robot.

[Ghettochild]

just found this thread today...


I own a roomba (version 1). I have been teaching robotics and engineering to high school students for about two years now, yes I am young. I must say that the roomba is the best programmed robot i have ever seen. the program is amazing! this little guy doesnt miss any spots and has pretty good battery life. i think i remember hearing something about a lithium battery but im not sure. i can vouch for this little guy he kicks but.

[dizzle]

Well I just sprung and ordered one. I got the one with the remote. It is not about being lazy but I saw a demo at Bed Bath and Beyond and getting to that little button to turn it off if you wanted to was a chore adn I imagined myself chasing this thing around. Also this one had the wall mount, an extra virtual wall, and that "max" setting that Boom talked about which will clean multiple rooms in a more open floor plan which we have in the main living area. I got it for 25 dollars off plus free shipping. It is not exactly laziness that motivated this purchase but an obsession to keep the tile clean with dusty messy birds.

[dizzle]

It came in yesterday and is charging up. I will let you guys know how it does.

[RumTumTugger]

What's an irobots roomba?

[$cirisme]

What's an irobots roomba?
A robot vacuum cleaner.

http://www.roombavac.com/buyroomba/defaultB.asp

[RumTumTugger]

thanks that will teach me not to read the whole thread. :blush:

[dizzle]

Okay I tested it this morning (pics forthcoming) but Boom.... mine makes like jerky jumping moves - does yours do that?

[yxboom]

umm...no

[dizzle]

Yeah I just called irobot and they said I need to exchange it. Bummer. Now I gotta wait for a new one to get shipped,.

[dizzle]

Well I have been having some issues but the supervisor at irobot has been very helpful... here ae some pics

it turns out the one guy who told me it was defective was wrong... but I am having another problem, I will let hyou know how it goes

irobot is sending me a free virtual wall unit for that one mistake...

[dizzle]

Well I had to ship back a few, the first one really wans't defective - the second one was- but anyways I have my new unit. Irobot gave me a free extra battery this time, so I am pleased. They have been helpful. This one works great and got up a ton of dust today off the tile - I couldn't believe it

[dizzle]

Well it has been cleaning all day for me while I surf. With the quick charger and the extra battery I can pretty much keep it going all day.

[dizzle]

The Roomba cleaned my house again tonight

[dizzle]

Okay in 2005 my Roomba ate it. It only lasted just over a year, but during that time I really loved it. I am not too terribly surprised it conked out, this is a brand new and still experimental technology. Well I had the major coupon and BB&B was running a special, so I broke down and got another one (the dust bunnies were starting to unionize so I figured it was time). This new one (it is still charging, I haven't used it yet) in just its feel and design is already noticeably a marked improvement from the older one. For instance, the older model had a dust filter that fit in along the button, but the clips were kinda shinto so that it would fall out periodically while moving and spill the contents of the dust bin out. Not good. The new model totally redesigned that area.

Now... this is somewhat scarey, this new one returns "home" to its cradle when done and starts charging itself.

[lao tzu]

Now... this is somewhat scarey, this new one returns "home" to its cradle when done and starts charging itself. I wouldn't worry until you start getting unexpected "900-number" billings.

[$cirisme]

I'm so going to get one of these guys eventually.

[dizzle]

Well the quality has definitely improved so far from the looks of it. I will be taking it for a test spin tomorrow. I eyed the "scoomba" but I am not yet convinced of that one.

As far as cleaning, the old one did a bang up job on tile and very low pile carpet.

[$cirisme]

Cool. I'll wait to see how yours goes, if there's anyway to break it, I'm sure you'll find it. :wink:

[$cirisme]

Actually, I think I should consider getting the Scooba for my mom next Mother's Day.

Though I don't know if that would count in the ban against things that plug-in. :huh:

I'll put it on my someday/maybe list anyway.

[$cirisme]

I just saw the price. :twitch:

Mom might have to wait for me to win the lottery.

[dizzle]

Cool. I'll wait to see how yours goes, if there's anyway to break it, I'm sure you'll find it. :wink:


Oh yeah, and the other lasted a year so for ME that's really good. I though have all kinds of accessories for the other one that I do not know if they were work for this one. It looks like the virtual rooms will and the rapid charger, but the battery is different. Hmmm, I actually just had a thought believe it or not. I doubt both of my old batteries went bad, but now that I see they changed the battery design, and the instructions say the battery is backwards compatible, before I ditch the old roomba (its corpse is still here), I am going to try it with this new battery. If it works, I will pick up a few more batteries and have two of the suckers. I get very little time for cleaning of that sort, my husband doesn't really care for the thing, so I use it when he is not around.

The funny thing is though, it is so fascinating that instead of doing the other things I should be doing, I find myself watching the roomba.

[Teallaura]

I'm thinking about trying the knock off. The way my rooms are laid out I doubt it's gonna be much more than a glorified cat toy - but I'm willing to fork over $50 to find out.....


Well, after a few other things....:duh:

[dizzle]

Okay day two with my new roomba. It appears to operate much the same as my old one, with one exception. It has a new "dirt sensor" tool in which it stops and goes over two or three times areas in which it senses an excess of dirt. That was pretty cool. It's room algorhythm also seems a bit more efficient. Oh and when it cuts caught under a shelf or something similar, this one rests, and then backs up, and has gotten itself unstuck which is better.

In small crowded rooms though it still has the some tendency to get stuck in corners. My old one did that too.

The dirt reservoir is much better.

I have not tried the "return to home" feature yet as I learned in order to use that, you have to hit start on it from that home base and it has to pretty much be on a clear wall for it to return to, not in an obscure or crowded corner. I will try that one time in the living room, but that will not be a feature I would use often I don't think, but I will let you guys know if it works.

Teal, I don't know if I would waste time on anything inexpensive, this is the type of product which is so new and complex, I cannot imagine a much cheaper knockoff being worth it. The primary product still has some bugs and I can only see those getting worse in cheaper products. It is just at that stage right now.

I am happy I got it. Maybe for the next one, I will try a scoomba. I am really dying to take one of those for a spin.

[$cirisme]

So, did it work with your old one?

[dizzle]

I haven't tried the battery yet. I just spoke with the company and they said the batteries are interchangeable. I am trying to just get my house cleaned up right now. It is jamming on the dust.

[$cirisme]

Do you have monster dust bunnies or something? :huh:

If it can't clean dust, doesn't seem like it's very useful.

[dizzle]

Umm it does clean dust.

I meant "jamming" as in "rocking" sheesh.

Let me translate.

It is doing incredibly well on the dust.

And yes I have a LOT of dust. I have an African Grey parrot and they produce a ton of feather dust, really fine that covers everything.

[$cirisme]

Kids and their slang these days.

[dizzle]

Okay it seems to be doing pretty well. I haven't tried the new battery with the old one yet. I have got it to go back to its base by command. The remote I "may" be having some issues with but I never really used the remote to begin with. I prefer to just set it and let it go. This weekend maybe I will get to let it run down by itself and seeif it goes to its "home" by itself. I need time when my husband is gone for a while so no one is in its way. I may not get that chance this weekend.

[Sparko]

My dog would kill it if I had a robot vacuum. He already hates my regular one.

[dizzle]

Okay I have let it go in the bedroom and left it alone. It went back to home base when done and is happily charging right now.

I find that oddly disturbing.

[Johnny MacManky]

. . .I have an African Grey parrot . . ..

Hey DX, My brother has an African Grey... Phenominal talker. Does your talk?

My dog would kill it . . ..

Hi Sparko, I meant to ask if you had a dog. Is it the same type as Taz? We had a mini schnauzer for 14 years.

[Sparko]

yeah his name is Taz and he is a min Schnauzer. Dee Dee made fun of him as a "yipper dog" in pal talk once :frown:

But he does like to attack my vacuum cleaner. I have to put him outside when I vacuum. A roomba wouldn't stand a chance.

[bandecoot]

yeah his name is Taz and he is a min Schnauzer. Dee Dee made fun of him as a "yipper dog" in pal talk once :frown:

But he does like to attack my vacuum cleaner. I have to put him outside when I vacuum. A roomba wouldn't stand a chance.


Actually we ALL made fun of Taz on paltalk.

[Teallaura]

I'll probably try the knock off sometime...


$50 for a ride on cat toy isn't too bad....:teeth:

[Johnny MacManky]

yeah his name is Taz and he is a min Schnauzer. Dee Dee made fun of him as a "yipper dog" in pal talk once :frown:

But he does like to attack my vacuum cleaner. I have to put him outside when I vacuum. A roomba wouldn't stand a chance.


I'd like to see anyone make fun of a minischnuz face to ripped out face. Mine took on a pit bull and won, and also bested a fox.

Ours was Abby and she lived 'til she was 14.

[dizzle]

It was a yipper.

And yes my Grey "Annie" talks quite a bit.

[Johnny MacManky]

It was a yipper.

And yes my Grey "Annie" talks quite a bit.

Yeah, I must concede that 'Pongo' would have bested the schnauzler.

Pongo's a great talker. When we sit down to eat he'll say "thank you Lord" and when we open a bottle of soda, he'll say "coca cola". He sings "The Hokey Cokey", and he's also a Pentecostalist! (Just like my brother)

[Sparko]

I'd like to see anyone make fun of a minischnuz face to ripped out face. Mine took on a pit bull and won, and also bested a fox.

Ours was Abby and she lived 'til she was 14.

Taz would just lick their face. He is pretty laid back other than the typical yapping at anything that moves.

[Johnny MacManky]

Taz would just lick their face. He is pretty laid back other than the typical yapping at anything that moves.


Go :sparko: Nice doggie.