How robot vacuum cleaners work?

There are those of us who clean once a week, andtypically low-slung and compact, meaning they can get
there are those of us who clean when the in-lawsunder furniture that a regular upright vacuum cleaner
come to visit. The appeal of the robotic vacuumcan't.
reaches both camps: Either way, the house is a bitMost manufacturers will tell you that a robotic vacuum
more spotless with minimal human input.is meant to supplement a standard, human-pushed
Today's robotic vacuums are a far cry from the firstvacuum cleaner, not replace it. They're meant to
models that you had to track down, strandedperform daily or weekly touch-ups to keep your home
somewhere in your house, by their melancholy, "I'm outcleaner in between regular vacuuming cycles. Still, if
of power" beeping. The latest products clean youryou're someone who never vacuums in the first place,
house, remember the layout to increase efficiency,a little robotic helper can certainly get your floor
dump their own dirt in a receptacle and find their waycleaner than it is right now, and you hardly have to lift a
back to the charging station so they can rejuice.finger.
In this article, we'll learn about robotic vacuuming, do anBy far the most popular robotic vacuum in the United
in-depth examination of the iRobot Roomba Red andStates is iRobot's Roomba, which comes in various
check out some of the other vacuuming robots on themodels ranging from the base-model Roomba Red to
market.the super high-tech Roomba Scheduler.
Robotic Vacuum BasicsHowStuffWorks has a Roomba Red ($150 MSRP)
There are a lot of models of robotic vacuumsthat we're going to try out and dissect for this article.
available today, and they range in price from $50 allLet's start by checking out what's under the hood.
the way up to $1,800. These vacuuming robots are