Notes

Why We Do We Love Self-Emptying Robot Vacuums (And You Should Too!)
Self-Empting Robot Vacuums

It can be frustrating to have empty your robot vacuum after every cleaning cycle, especially those who suffer from allergies. Not to mention that dirt and debris are thrown back into the air every time you empty the vacuum.

Self-emptying bases minimize your exposure to dust. They do this by having the robot transfer debris from its onboard bin to a larger trash container when it's full.

The Samsung Jet Bot+

Samsung's robot is among the most advanced we've examined and comes with excellent filtering, superb navigation, and hands-free emptying of the dustbin. It has HEPA filtering and can lock in dust particles that are airborne to prevent allergies. The top of the device has a rotating brush bar, with soft bristles that can be able to reach into corners that are tight. It also has self cleaning extractors that crush hairs to avoid knots.


When I tested the Jet Bot, it picked up a good amount of debris from my carpets and hardwood floors. It omitted a couple of small things in the corner of my dining room and needed to go back over them, but it was a success overall. Comparatively to the Roomba, it edged the win on my tests since its side brush reached better along edges and was more efficient in terms of removing smaller debris.

Samsung Jet Bot can be controlled via the SmartThings App and set to clean itself automatically at times that you prefer. It can be programmed to clean specific rooms or areas. You can also add virtual no-go zones and physical ones.

It is equipped with LiDAR sensors akin to the ones used by self-driving vehicles for mapping and navigation and a camera at the front to enable smart object recognition. This feature helps it avoid collisions with furniture or other objects and figure out the most efficient route between rooms. It will also identify any objects it believes are "poop" and make an educated guess.

The SmartThings app lets you easily schedule cleaning times, monitor the status of the robot, and keep an eye on what's happening on a map. It can also be set up to inform you when the bin is full and it will return to its dock at this point to empty itself prior to resuming the cleaning process. The 0.3L dustbin is simple to empty and is easily washed, as it's fully enclosed to ensure that it is hygienic.

The Roomba iRobot 960 from iRobot

The Roomba is iRobot’s most expensive robot. It's also an excellent performer that is in the same league as the top self-emptying robot vacuums for its sheer cleaning power, thanks to its HEPA filter and powerful battery. It also has a neat small feature known as CarpetBoost that automatically boosts the power of the vacuum when it senses that it's on carpet.

As with the previous Roomba models, this's frame is circular and has a single clear window at the top, which houses the camera. It's that camera that gives this model some real intelligence. It makes use of the camera for VSLAM (Visual Simultaneous Localization Mapping) by scanning for distinct features and storing these features. It then compares this information with the relative positioning gyro IMU and wheel odometry information to build a map of the room it's in.

It's a clever system, and it does a great job - even on carpets, which is where the Roomba typically has a harder time than it does on hard surfaces. There are other clever features on the 980, for instance the ability to set up the weekly schedule for cleaning and play a sound to aid in finding your robot. There's a huge "Clean" button on the front of the device that will get your robot up and running and there are indicators that indicate when it's charged or connected to Wi-Fi and when the bin is full.

If you're looking to tidy up a small mess, the 980 also has an option for spot cleaning that's quite basic, but it's not as thorough in covering area as the more sophisticated alternatives available. If you have some wires that are dangerous to your robot There's a virtual wall feature that lets you place a barrier that warns it not to approach it.

listen to this podcast that comes with the 980 is very easy to use and gives you a visual view of the tasks your robot is performing. You can also set up your schedule and experiment with other settings, such as bin capacity and reduced power mode, and much more.

The iRobot Roomba 960

iRobot is a brand that is synonymous with robot vacuums. The Roomba 960, which costs $700, is in the middle. It's less expensive than the top-of-the-line 980 however it has many of the same features, like a camera for navigation and a smartphone app that provides detailed cleaning maps and reports. It also has a Virtual Wall, which creates an invisible barrier that the Roomba will be unable to cross.

The 960 did well in our tests, especially on floors with no floor. It sucked up lots of food crumbs, cat litter and tracked-in dirt. It can also climb obstacles such as table legs, stair runners and chairs legs. It also sucked up pet hair, as well, though it had to contend with smaller particles like baking soda.

One thing that separates the 960 from other Roomba models is the fact that it has a separate dustbin for large debris, which cuts down on maintenance needs. It can be empty at the press of a button, through the iRobot HOME app, or by using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands.

The iRobot HOME App allows you to personalize every cleaning cycle. You can set the number of passes and choose between different modes like edge clean, or a full room sweep. It also sends a notification when it's time to empty the dirt compartment.

The 960 is easy to use, with buttons on top and control options within the iRobot Home app or via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It's also simple to maintain and comes with a display on the top that displays the battery life and an automatic docking station that moves debris from the dirt compartment to the garbage bin when you're ready to empty it. The iRobot HOME app will also show you the location of each object it has collected and offers how-to videos for a variety of maintenance tasks. The battery longevity of the 960 isn't great but it's sufficient to let you use it all day long without having to worry about charging prior to the bedtime. The iRobot HOME app is available on both iOS and Android devices.

The Roomba iRobot 960 from iRobot

The Roomba 970 is a robot vacuum cleaner that is compatible with Google Home and Amazon Alexa. It has the same advanced navigation system as other new iRobot models and can detect stairs, something that could be a hassle with other vacuums. It also has a central camera that scans the floor as it moves around and can detect walls, furniture, and other obstacles, so that it doesn't just randomly run into objects. It can also use the virtual wall tool to establish boundaries that the robot can't over.

This model differs from earlier models in that it uses lithium-ion batteries instead metal Hydride. This means that it will run for longer between charges, and has more stamina when cleaning. It's not as quick as the Shark AI Robot, but it's still fairly quick and can move around an area with ease.

Like the other models in the 960 series the 970 can be controlled via the iRobot app and connects to your Wi-Fi network with no setup required. It has a small handle on the front that you can press to manually return it to its charger and a spot-cleaning feature that lets you focus on a specific part of your home. The 960 series robots have the same three-stage cleaning procedure as other current iRobot models, which combines agitation with power-lifting suction to thoroughly clean the floor and eliminate dirt.

The 960 is a great choice for unfinished floors and picks up a large amount of hair, dust, and other debris thanks to its brushrolls as well as powerful suction. However, it isn't a great choice for carpets with high piles and tends to leave some sand behind in its tunnel. It has an enormous dirt compartment which can be notified when it's full by an app or a light at the top of the robot. It is also programmed to clean at a set time and we had no trouble setting this up during our tests.

Homepage: https://www.robotvacuummops.com/categories/self-emptying-robot-vacuums