Welcome to Rave Robot’s Robot Vacuum list. We have included images and vendor links for each system. If you want us to add another robot vacuum or want to contribute a review, please let us know.
What is a robot vacuum?
A robot vacuum combines a vacuum canister with a robot that moves the vacuum throughout a single level in the home without outside direction (autonomous movement).
What is autonomous movement?
The simplest example of autonomous movement is random motion within a room followed by redirection due to bumping into objects, walls, etc. and counting on repetitive rounds throughout the room being vacuumed to clean the entire floor. This cleaning method is thorough, but not efficient. The original Electrolux robot from 1996 and iRobot’s Roomba in 2002 worked in just this way. There are other robot vacuums that still clean rooms using random motion today. However, the gold standard of autonomous motion is the creation of a digital map of the room/level to be vacuumed and a calculated path to vacuum the entire floor efficiently. The digital map approach is superior because it allows a robot to stop cleaning to recharge, or empty waste and then continue where it left off.
Why would laboratory automation experts care about robot vacuums?
We are unaware of any labs that use robot vacuums nor have we heard of any efforts to get robot vacuums into the lab or onto the manufacturing floor (If you are using a robot vacuum in the lab, we would love to hear about it). However, one of the reasons that robot vacuums are interesting to lab automation experts is the incorporation of autonomous robots in the lab for purposes beyond cleaning. There are already two autonomous robots built for the lab and they work in ways that similar to the current gold standard robot vacuums. For those of you who are rolling your eyes at that rationale, you choose to believe the argument that we like robots because robots are cool and sometimes you have to do something just for the fun of it.
Which robot vacuum is right for me?
There are many robot vacuums on the market and this competition has resulted in an incredible advancement in capabilities as well as affordability. Robot vacuums are changing quickly with new models coming out every year. There are also already multiple websites that put out reviews and comparisons of robot vacuums sometimes multiple times a year (Wired and PCmag to name two). We’re putting a different spin on this. We’ve created a list of the major Robot vacuum companies. We included the high and low end examples of their systems as of the publication of this blog. These details do not come from Rave Robot’s direct experience unless we state so. As such, they are intended to help readers delineate the manufacturers, the current models and not make a statement of equivalent value. When you find a mistake, please tell us and we will fix it.
A nearly comprehensive list of robot vacuums
Below is the list of robot vacuums found doing research for our own home robots. We are sure that there are other systems we’ve missed especially since new systems are designed and released each year. Please comment if there are other robot vacuums that should be added to the list. When you do, we will research and add them. If you have an experience with or want to review a system, write it up. When you do, we will be happy to help you format and post your review.
iRobot
Initial model: 2002
Other Robots: Braava-Mop, Terra-Lawnmower
Low End |
High End |
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Ecovacs
Initial model: 2007
Other Robots: OZMO-Vac/Mop, WINBOT-Window, ATMOBOT
Low End |
High End |
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neato
Initial model: 2010
Other Robots:
Low End |
High End |
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eufy
Initial model: 2016
Low End |
High End |
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ILIFE
Initial model: 2012?
Other Robots: V Series-Vac/Mop, W Series-Vac
Low End |
High End |
 A4s |
 A9 |
Samsung
Low End |
High End |
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LG HOM-BOT™
Initial model: 2012
Low End |
High End |
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Electrolux
Initial model: 1996
Low End |
High End |
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Roborock
Low End |
High End |
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Tell us about other robot vacuums
Did we miss any good robot vacuums? Let us know!
If you have experience with one of the above vacuums, please leave a comment. When people want to write review or update lists, we are quick to contact them.
If you are interested in any of our other lists, check out Rave Robot’s List page.
