Robot Vacuums With Dirt-Emptying Docks
Writing by Evan Ackerman on Tuesday, 2 of June , 2009 at 2:54 am
Yesterday we posted about a patent app from iRobot suggesting that they might be working on a docking station that empties Roomba’s dustbin, but as commenter JP pointed out, other companies already have had this option available from several years back. There are two more or less identical robot vacuums, the Siemens Sensor Cruiser VSR 8000 and the K├ñrcher RC 3000, that come with a base station which can charge the robot and empty the dust bin. The bin on the dock holds about 10 full loads of dirt, and comes with bags that you can swap out.
The robots themselves are comparable to a Roomba circa 2004ish (except the K├ñrcher is more space fightery), with scheduling, autonomous cleaning, obstacle avoidance, dirt detect, and dock finding. The problem with them is the cost: the K├ñrcher RC 3000 currently appears to sell for about $1300. Yeah, it’s steep, something like twice the cost of the most expensive Roomba. This is partially because these systems are several years old (from 2004, looks like), but it makes me wonder just what sort of premium people are willing to pay (to iRobot or anyone else) for a vacuum cleaner that empties itself. Not $1300, apparently, but I can’t imagine any product from iRobot costing much less than a couple hundred bucks, and that puts it at about the same price/benefit point as the Roomba: yeah, it saves you time, but only barely (if at all) in proportion to the amount that it costs.
[ Kärcher RC 3000 ]
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Category: Consumer
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