It is 2013 and it is about time you reclaimed some time and let the robots do all the work. Yes, thats right! If, like us, you’ve wanted to live in a world where robots did all of the work while the humans kicked back and relaxed, the influx of robot vacuum cleaners on the market may be the first step.

 

Sci-fi relationships between humans and robots typically don’t end well – the robots usually end up taking over the world – but we’ve got at least 20 more years before that could ever happen to us. We might as well take advantage of the benefits, if any, that the robot vacuum cleaners can provide – lets look at whether or not they are any good!

 

 

Features

 

Visit Amazon and type in robot vacuums and you are hit with a variety of options! It is great to have such a vast selection available – the costs vary greatly too but what do you get? The leader of the pack is the Roomba 770 – it has the ability to be programed to ensure it is not vacuuming in rooms which it shouldn’t be and has the best processor in the market. The little robot is small enough to get under sofas and when it is running low on power it heads back to its docking station. It lets you know when it is full and can even be told when to clean – daily, weekly or monthly. Clever little robot!

 

Performance

 

The aim of owning a robot vacuum cleaner is to ensure you don’t have to do any vacuuming – in theory this sounds fantastic. Don’t worry about a cleaner going through your personals or the risk of them losing your keys – the robot can do just a good a job….or can it?

 

The Roomba makes 60 decisions a second to ensure your room is clean before it moves on to the next programmed one. This is great in theory but seeing the little thing in action is another story! Despite its ability to make multiple decisions and having on board sensors to avoid bumping into anything, the Roomba continues to cover the same spots multiple times and somehow totally misses others. Better not book in that additional time at the spa just yet….

 

 

The spot mode is a good idea – spilt something on the floor? The Roomba will spiral to clean the programmed area to ensure its spotless! This is a great feature which ensures the area it focuses on is sufficiently clean. However, this will easily fill up the little machine. Dust pan and brush anyone?

 

Verdict

 

The Roomba 770 robot cleaner is a great idea – in theory it removes one of the chores any discerning gent would rather not do or have to pay a cleaner to do. However, the little gadget is noisy, gets full easy and is prone to falling over itself. At a cost of £370 (best price) there is little value in getting the gadget – it will not ensure you wont have to have a tidy after it and it certainly wont get the job done to a better standard than a good cleaner.

 

In the battle or man vs machine it looks like this one goes easily to the man!

 

 

For further information on the Roomba range visit: www.irobot.com