According to research undertaken by Neato Robotics, in addition to chair/table legs and under furniture, the biggest pet peeve of those undertaking vacuum duties in the home is getting close enough to room corners and edges. Add tangled cords and pulling/pushing around a heavy, noisy box to the equation and the idea of a robotic device taking care of all matters related to floor cleaning is a very appealing one indeed. The Silicon Valley company has just unveiled what is claimed to be its smartest and most powerful robot vacuum to date in the shape of the XV Signature Series.
The new XV Signature and XV Signature Pro will come in all black coloring, and sport the familiar flat front end and curved back Neato shaping. Though the business end is slightly more angular than LG's most recent (but still moderately curvy) square-bot, the latest Neato additions benefit from a similarly low profile design that allows for creeping and cleaning underneath room furniture.
The new models are claimed to pick up 50 percent more dust than those that came before, benefit from a new floor-hugging vacuum design (though no specifics have been given), and feature high performance filters that can remove allergens and particles from the air as small as 3 microns in size.
Like other models in its range, the Signature Series makes use of laser-guided navigation technology that maps a room and then selects the best cleaning path. The bots are said to be smart enough to remember multiple room layouts and include sensors to avoid tumbling down the stairs or bumping into precious antiques.
Programmed scheduling through the onboard Control Center means that the vacuums can be set to clean while you're at work. The cleaning bot will return to base for recharging if it runs out of power mid-cycle, resuming from the spot it left off to finish the job when juiced up.
Neato removed the wrapping on its new robot vac at the International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago ahead of April availability. Pricing for the XV Signature has been set at US$399, while the Pro version clocks in at $449.
Source: Neato