SMART TECHNOLOGY finds its way into such mundane tasks as house cleaning with the launch of LG’s new Hom-Bot Inverter. The VR65710LVMP, as the new |robot cleaner is called, is much more than a vacuum, boasting a dual-core CPU, sensors and two cameras that leave you free to do something else while it’s doing its stuff.
It can even return to its charging base at a push of button either on the cleaner or on the remote control.
The inverter motor is reasonably quietly but ramps up the volume level as it zaps into turbo mode after detecting a carpet that requires stronger suction power.
I tried it out in my bedroom and living room and while the Hom-Bot was efficient in removing dust from the floors, I had to lift cables and any other obstacles that might become entangled in its main brush. Even a tiny piece of fabric left lying on the floor can get entangled with the rotating main brush under its front, causing the robot cleaner to stop.
The Hom-Bot system comprises two parts – the home station for recharging the cleaner and the cleaner itself. The latter, which is almost square but has curved corners, looks sleek. The cleaner’s lithium-ion batter needs to be recharged for about 180 minutes for 100 minutes of cleaning.
The new robot cleaner is powered by RoboNavi 10.0 system and a dual CPU as well as Dual Eye 2.0 upper and lower cameras. The Hom-Bot Inverter automatically calculates the intensity of light and scans the ceiling, taking pictures of the room and minimising the wandering of the robot cleaner.
Its upper camera takes 30 images per second, scanning ceiling surfaces, and it continuously compares these images to generate simultaneous localisation and mapping information. And the lower camera functions as an optical flow sensor, reading the floor for measuring distances and recognising obstacles and slight changes to the flooring.
Its smart technology allows the robot cleaner to return to its last position to continue cleaning even after being manually picked up and moved elsewhere, using the Mapping Resume function.
The Hom-Bot Inverter also cleaned the corners of the room efficiently with its Corner Master design.
The square design allows the robot cleaner to have a close proximity to the wall and its side brushes, which extend by 70mm at the front, remove the dust from the corner for the cleaner to suck in.
The Hom-Bot Inverter has six cleaning modes, among them My Space, Spot Cleaning, Learning Mode and Manual. The My Space program allows you to efficiently clean an area you have selected. The Spot Cleaning program is, as the name implies, for cleaning certain spots – one at a time. The Manual mode allows you to use the remote to control the movements and directions of the robot.
The Learning Mode, which has to be started when the robot cleaner is in its home station, is the smartest mode. It will learn the environment from cleaning, using the Dual Eye cameras and bumping sensors. After it has learned the environment, the robot cleaner tells you – through an audio announcement – “Environment has been studied by learning process”.
Emptying its dustbin isn’t automatic though. Human help is needed but at least it’s easily removed.
Hom-Bot Inverter VR65710LVMP has a suggested retail price of Bt27,900.
Key Specs
– Dust capacity: 0.6 litre
– Power usage: 58 watts
– Movement speed: 350mm per second
– Battery: Lithium-ion with 180-minute charging time and 100-minute operation time
– Dimensions: 340x340x89mm
– Weight: 3 kgs
This source first appeared on The Nation Life.