Yes. We’ve got one. I had to do some things that no robot journalist should ever have to do, but I have a Neato XV-11 in my living room right now.

And a Roomba 560.

They’re just sitting there, staring at each other. You could cut the tension with a robot wielding a knife.

I know what you’re wondering… Which one is better?

Well, I’ll tell you. But not until next week, since I need some time to review both the Roomba and the XV-11, put together video of the latter, and let them bump into each other until only one robot is left sucking.

I have the XV-11 for just 24 hours (after which I think it’s been programmed to kill me), so if you have any specific questions you’d like answered, post a comment (quickly). And no, I won’t rip it open and show you the laser sensor.

Stay tuned.

At CES, we got a very good look at Neato Robotics’ new XV-11 vacuum robot. What we forgot to mention, though, is that the XV-11 comes with its very own USB port. While the robot isn’t initially shipping with any direct USB accessibility, the port allows for easy firmware upgrades as well as (more importantly!) the potential for hacking. This is a capability that iRobot has promoted with their Create platform, but then you’re buying a Create and not a vacuum. Plus, the XV-11 has that super sexy (and super cheap) laser rangefinder that everybody’s dying to play with. I know that the XV-11 is firmly a commercial product as opposed to a hobby platform, but if it manages to also be a hackable platform (to some extent at least), that would be another compelling reason for people with even a casual interest in robotics to buy one.

Meantime, Neato is busily producing XV-11s in time for its release this summer. Don’t forget, you can pre-order the XV-11 here.

[ Neato Robotics ]

We covered the Neato Robotics XV-11 robot vacuum in detail back in December, and last night at Digital Experience here at CES we got a chance to check it out in person. Just to recap, the Neato is unlike most other robot vacuums in that it isn’t a gussied up Roomba knockoff but rather an original design, the flagship feature of which is a laser based room navigation system that can clean much faster and more efficiently than a Roomba’s pseudo-random patterns. Check out our earlier post for more details, or just watch the demo, narrated by Neato Robotics CEO Max Safai:

Notice how the XV-11 finished cleaning its little area in exactly the time of the demo… That’s precision PR, folks. Seriously though, it’s striking just how different the XV-11′s cleaning technique is from a Roomba. It undocks, looks around the room, and then makes one circuit around the wall (notice how precisely it avoids its dock) followed by an overlapping pattern to cover the center of the floor. And then, it’s done. It moves slower than a Roomba does, but since it knows where it’s been and where it’s going, overall it cleans much, much faster.

The XV-11 only has one brush on the bottom, and it’s supposed to be really good at not getting all kinds of stuff tangled up in it. The dustbin is fairly spacious, and lifts out of the top of the robot, making it somewhat easier to access without either having to lift the robot or get dirt all over the floor, as with a Roomba.

It remains to be seen how well the XV-11 performs in a more realistic environment, like my living room, which is full of furniture, hardwood to carpet transitions, electrical cables, and miscellaneous random crap all over the floor. The key here is going to be whether or not the XV-11 can actually do what the Roomba was supposed to be able to do: vacuum by itself without you having to prep the floor and pay attention to make sure that it doesn’t get stuck, try to smash things, or kill your pets.

You’ll be able to get an XV-11 in March, for $399… It’s significantly more expensive than an entry level 500 series Roomba, but it also has the potential to be a significantly better vacuum. If you have any questions, just post in the comments and I’ll get answers for ya, in person.

[ Neato Robotics ]

BTW, that iRobot patent from 2008? Neato knows about it but says it’s not a factor due to several examples of prior art.

We’re continually bemoaning the fact that the selection of practical robotic vacuums is extremely limited here in the US (although not so much elsewhere). Besides iRobot’s Roomba, you’ve got… Well, you don’t have much. Today, Neato Robotics (yep, their real name) unveiled the first new model of consumer robot vacuum we’ve seen in the US in quite a while: the XV-11.

Now, I hate to describe the XV-11 in terms of the Roomba, but for better or worse, that’s just kind of the way it is. The Roomba has a virtual monopoly on home robot vacuums, so any challenger is going to have to prove itself as good as, or better than, the status quo (as it were). And I think the XV-11 may do just that. Here’s the rundown:

Vacuum: Uses a “centrifugal compression impeller” which creates sustained, high powered suction on any surface. Gets pet hair out of carpet.

Interface: the XV-11 has a LCD on top that lets you schedule it and notifies you of any issues. Comes with a self-charging home base that’s drive-up, rather than drive-on. Operation is as simple as pressing the start button and letting it do its thing. Also, a nice little feature is that the XV-11 will automatically “snug up” to its charging base if it gets accidentally knocked askew.

Navigation: This is what sets one robot vacuum apart from another, and the XV-11 is pretty impressive with its navigation technology. It uses lasers. LASERS! Laser distance sensors, to be exact. When you first tell it to clean, it will scan the entire room to detect walls, furniture, and doorways up to 4 meters away. It then calculates the optimum cleaning path and cleans the room, vacuuming in generally straight lines and covering the entire floor once while continuously updating its map in case you try to trick it by moving stuff around. Once it’s done with the room it starts in, it proceeds to one of the doorways it located and repeats the process in a new room. If it runs out of battery before it’s finished cleaning a room, it will remember where it was, return to its charging base, charge itself, and then go back to finish the job where it left off.

Looks good, right? As I see it, here’s the deal on robot vacuums: if you want a good and inexpensive model, you should probably still go with the iRobot Roomba 535 or one if its derivatives for a couple hundred bucks. But if you want something better, the more expensive Roombas don’t really offer any new technology beyond a bigger battery and larger capacity dustbin. The Roomba 560, 570, and 610 cost $350, $450, and $550, but don’t fundamentally clean any better than the 535, which you can find for $200 – $250.

If you’re willing to spend a little bit more money on a fancier vacuum, then, the Neato robot appears to offer a bunch of innovative features that the Roombas don’t. At $399, It’s a substantial premium over the Roomba 535, but unlike the professional Roombas, you actually get a robot that (potentially) actually vacuums better, and includes a lot more options as well.

The Neato XV-11 should be available in February online and also at some unspecified retail partners.

[ Neato Robotics ]
[ Press Release ]

Edit: It’s somewhat interesting that the XV-11 shares its basic form factor (square front, round back) with this iRobot patent from 2008. Not sure what, if anything, to make of that.