RE: Yet another robot vac...

["Mark Harrison" <Mark.Harrison@xxxxxxx>]

LOL....

 

Seriously, though... the problems with Robo Vacs are corners, edges, and stairs....

 

There's a lot of discussion about this in "Robot", the book by Rodne A. Brooks, Director of the AI lab at MIT.

 

What he suggests is some "tiny" robots, that are solar powered as follows:

 

-  When you put them down, they head off, in a straight line, in a random direction

-  When they hit an edge, they head off along it, including going round corners

 

- As they go, they pick up dust, probably using "sweeping arms" rather than vacuum

 

- When they get "power low", they scan for a bright area of floor, then head there and wait till they are recharged

 

- When they DETECT the "mother ship" - ie the main robovac, they run towards it, then "dump" all their dust into a little pile for the main robovac to pick up

(Note - this doesn't require the mother ship to detect them - no two way comms here, just that they can detect the presence of the main one)

 

- If they fall down a stair, they are sufficiently robust that they just keep on working on the next stair down

 

Basically, the only maintenance is that the housekeeper will find too many on the ground floor every week or so, so will carry a handful upstairs.

The premise is that you have LOTS of these things, and only TWO "big vacs" - one for upstairs, one for downstairs (obviously - more if you live in a townhouse!)

 

The "big vacs" run, automatically, say from 10:00-14:00 and try to clean the whole floor. Then they return back to their docking station to recharge, and dump their dust into a single hopper.

 

Cunning eh.... still a way off, but you can see this product as doing 80% of the "mother ship" stuff already.

 

M.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: BUTLER, Tony, FM [mailto:roaming@xxxxxxx]
Sent: 17 September 2002 16:46
To: 'ukha_d@xxxxxxx'
Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Yet another robot vac...

Quick - someone develop a dirt sensor so that when grime > acceptable levels, the robo vac is started automatically when the house is too dirty!

An obvious gap in the marketplace, but remember, I thought of it first, so royalties to me please :-)

 

 

Tony

-----Original Message-----
From: TAWN Jonathan [mailto:jonathan.tawn@xxxxxxx]
Sent: 17 September 2002 16:32
To: 'ukha_d@xxxxxxx'
Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Yet another robot vac...

Now that is something I want!

 

@ ~£130 or so, that's a top buy!

 

-----Original Message-----
From: PatrickLidstone [mailto:patrick@xxxxxxx]
Sent: 17 September 2002 16:28
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxxSubject: [ukha_d] Yet another robot vac...

 

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/property/homes/top_story.html?
in_review_id=698487&in_review_text_id=671806

But this one is going on sale tomorrow in the US and apparently only
costs USD 130. Bargain!

Patrick

http://www.automatedhome.co.uk
Post message: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subscribe:  ukha_d-subscribe@xxxxxxx
Unsubscribe:  ukha_d-unsubscribe@xxxxxxx
List owner:  ukha_d-owner@xxxxxxx

List of UKHA Groups here - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UKHA_Grouplists/

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

http://www.automatedhome.co.uk
Post message: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subscribe:  ukha_d-subscribe@xxxxxxx
Unsubscribe:  ukha_d-unsubscribe@xxxxxxx
List owner:  ukha_d-owner@xxxxxxx
List of UKHA Groups here - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UKHA_Grouplists/

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.



********************************************************************
Visit our Internet site at http://www.rbsmarkets.com

This e-mail is intended only for the addressee named above.
As this e-mail may contain confidential or privileged information,
if you are not the named addressee, you are not authorised to
retain, read, copy or disseminate this message or any part of it.
The Royal Bank of Scotland is registered in Scotland No 90312
Registered Office: 36 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2YB
Regulated by the Financial Services Authority
********************************************************************


http://www.automatedhome.co.uk
Post message: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subscribe:  ukha_d-subscribe@xxxxxxx
Unsubscribe:  ukha_d-unsubscribe@xxxxxxx
List owner:  ukha_d-owner@xxxxxxx
List of UKHA Groups here - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UKHA_Grouplists/

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

________________________________________________________________________
This email has been scanned for all viruses by the MessageLabs SkyScan
service. For more information on a proactive anti-virus service working
around the clock, around the globe, visit http://www.messagelabs.com
________________________________________________________________________

Yahoo! Groups Sponsor

ADVERTISEMENT

http://www.automatedhome.co.uk
Post message: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subscribe:  ukha_d-subscribe@xxxxxxx
Unsubscribe:  ukha_d-unsubscribe@xxxxxxx
List owner:  ukha_d-owner@xxxxxxx
List of UKHA Groups here - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UKHA_Grouplists/

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.