If the Roomba went to grad school
(Credit:
Appliancist)
"Roombas" and "Scoobas" are fine for what they do, but--how shall we say this--they're kind of dumb. The "Microrobot UBOT," on the other hand, is kind of like a Roomba with a college degree.
Rather than randomly vacuum or scrub as it bumps its way about the house, the UBOT senses its target floor, sweeping and mopping at the same time in a single pass while avoiding duplicate cleaning. But just like some overeducated humans we know, it can correctly perform its duties only with the help of others--in this case, bar codes that are printed directly onto the floor boards, which the machine then reads.
If you do go through all the trouble to construct a support system that satisfies this hothouse flower, Appliancist says it will dutifully follow the markings back to its docking station upon completion of its tasks or if its four-hour battery needs recharging, whichever comes first. But if money is no issue, we would suggest skipping class and going with the brute force of a $170,000 cleaning monster from Japan.
- You mean $170,000
- by jmcnichols February 9, 2007 2:35 PM PST
- You read Crave's old post wrong.
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- Right you are, jmc
- by Mike Yamamoto February 9, 2007 3:23 PM PST
- And wrong I was. It's been corrected. Thank you for the catch. --Mike
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