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I had one of these for Xmas and this review here tells you all the spec and a good description of what it does and everything.

There is a much more expensive version at about £200 (called the Roomba) but mine was £40 from Ebuyer and we're calling it Poomba.

It doesn't work terribly well on hard wood floors.  

That's the bad news out of the way - it's absolutely brilliant on carpets!   :D  

After a short while of us all admiring it as it carefully felt its way around a room, whirring and turning and sweeping, I left it to it in the bedroom.  Returned an hour later to find a perfectly clean carpet with that 'just hoovered' look - and the Poomba trying to eat the DVD player, which I had left unguarded on the floor.

He had a pen, a whole pen! in his tummy, about a cupful of dust and fluff, and quite a lot of hair on his brushes.  He's now recharging ready for the landing tomorrow (there is a 'stair guard' transmitter to put at the top of the stairs to warn him not to go there.  I imagine it stands there whirling its arms around in alarm and going 'Danger!  Danger!'  like the robot from Lost in Space :lol

That was £40 well spent.  If he doesn't last very long owing to his keen price I may even consider replacing him with a proper Roomba.
Interesting.
How would it manage a lounge with a three piece suite and a coffee table?
It will go under anything where there's room for it to move (it's about 6cm tall) and do round legs as it has sensors of some kind which guide it round anything and everything.  

I don't suppose anyone would claim it's as good as a  well-trained maid with a brush and pan to do the skirting boards and tricky bits, however my own cleaning is pretty much of a 'lick and a promise' nine times out of ten  :lol  

That reviewer describes it pretty well:

The robot learns about its environment by using an ever increasing spiral movement and by bumping into things, backing off a little, turning a little and moving forward again. This is entertaining to watch, for the first five or ten minutes, as it feels its way around the edge of the room.

It uses a number of cleaning devices as it goes along:

~ at the front right corner is a rotating, three armed side brush that sweeps dust from the edges into the centre of the unit. It is this that makes the cleaner effective along walls and into corners

~ at the front left corner is a static flat brush that, again directs dust towards the centre of the unit. It can't be as effective as the rotating brush. I guess this is a compromise of cost against efficiency

~ at the mid point are the main drive wheels with a rotating rubber blade brush which agitates the surface to loosen the dirt

~ immediately behind this is the main brush. It is a rotating plastic bristle brush (17 cm wide) typical of upright vacuum cleaners

~ Following this is a vacuum opening with a trailing blade, presumably to enhance suction, which sucks dust into a plastic particle bin


He concludes, fairly, with this:

The robot is visibly effective. The beating and sucking action removes all but the most engrained or heavy dirt. I found that room corners were sometimes left with a small amount of dust and dirt and, of course, all the higher level surfaces remain untouched.


Today my landing gets a turn  :thumbs  :clap   and then I'll send him into Jay;s room and not let him out till he's done.
I do not think it would work in my house and it certainly would not in my sister's. Because of the "clutter" factor.

More than half the battle is clearing the floor of "stuff" and this is why I hardly ever vacuum as I cannot face that. I don't really mind the hoover vacuuming itself.

For people with tidy houses like the Merrys ithe little robot vacuum looks like a very cool little thing though.
not let him out till he's done.


Ee, you're a hard woman, Merry.
The Clutter Factor is a problem. I want a room 4 times as big but with the same amount of furniture so there is space to hoover between
Special note for Chaircat Midge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ-jv8g1YVI
:rofl  at the Roomba 'driver'  - brilliant!

My poor little Poomba encountered a problem today and just sat there miserably, all his lights flashing.  On close inspection of machine and handbook, which is translated into Pidgin, it appeared he had swallowed 'large hairy rubbish' , but thankfully not the 'vase or small paper box' which it implores you not to leave in his path.

The handbook also warns that 'children must not be leaved to throw the Intelligent down the stairwell.  It can cause Human injury.'
I like him more and more.  He does need all his little nooks and crannies cleaned out after every use, but it's easy to do - and strangely satisfying , to see how much he's beaten/swept/sucked out of my carpets!

Am even considering getting the pricier model that goes back home to its docking station when it wants to recharge.

Of course what would be nice is one that does the stairs too[i].... but until they can teach one to fly like Daleks...
Perhaps a kind of Slinky design?
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