Home Robots: Which Ones Should I Get For My Domestic Needs?

Robots are more and more present in our everyday life, you probably just didn't notice or are simply getting used to them. In a not so far future, our homes will look like the one from The Jetsons©. You may be cagey about having so many robots around your house but after you've read this article, I'm sure you will be more willing to accept them and give most of the easy and annoying tasks to your robots.

Here is a detailed list that should help you understand and choose the right robot for your domestic needs.

Vacuum Cleaner Robots

When you get tired of sweeping the floor manually or vacuuming, these swift robots will come to your rescue. You may be wondering: how do they work? Are they really able to navigate cleverly in your house without bumping into the furniture or getting stuck under the couch? Nowadays, the technology in these robots is impressively advanced! Let's see what kind of sensors you can find in them:

Kind of sensors:

• Light Detection and Ranging sensor to map your rooms and the environment (Neato)
• Camera to map your rooms and the environment (Roomba 980)
• Wall Sensor so the robot can follow a wall and map the room more efficiently (Neato)
• Fall Sensors are fundamental for a robot with wheels. This will prevent it to fall in the stairs.
• Bumper sensors are present to avoid the robot hitting the furniture too hard or pushing objects down the stairs.
• Wheel switches are there to inform the robot if both wheels are touching the floor before it starts cleaning.
• Magnetic field sensors to detect the boundary determined by the user (Neato)
• Dust bin sensor to confirm that the bin is correctly installed before the robot starts cleaning.

Furthermore, you can easily program and monitor your robots using a smartphone. Most of the big brands are now developing their own application. This will allow the user to start the robot remotely from anywhere, program a schedule, retrieve error code and notifications, update the robot, map the house, track the cleaning process in real time and much more.

For a complete list of all Robotic Vacuum Cleaners available in store, visit this page: Comparison table for the Vacuum Cleaner Robots. This ''list'' view will allow you to compare the specifications and features of different models and brands.

Pet Care Robots

You really like your pets and can't leave them overnight or for the weekend? Solution: get a robot! There is more and more of these machines on the market and they are specifically designed to take care of your pet while you're out! 

Self Cleaning Litter-Robot

Everyone knows that having to manually clean the litter tray is probably the biggest downside of owning a cat. This is why I present to you two miraculous products that will considerably reduce the time you waste, allowing you to get the most out of the moments you spent with your cat! 

Litter-Robot III:

This self-cleaning litter robot features multiple sensors to ensure your cat is always safe. This robot is simple to use and features a plug and play installation. The product is good for multiple cats and you would only have to empty the drawer once or twice per week.

CatGenie 120:

This robot may not be as simple to set up as the Litter-Robot III, but it operates more autonomously.  You'll only need to replace the cartridge every 120 flushes. Note that the cycle on the CatGenie lasts around 30-35 minutes, which may seem long but it will save you a lot of dirty work so it could be worth waiting.

Auto Feeding and Watering Robot

This category features the simplest robots you will find in this article but they are very useful and time-saving. Most of them use a basic principle, which is usually a timer. 

The Automatic Pet Feeder (medium):

This product is so easy to install, all you have to do is program the timer to have your pet fed at specific hours. It is available in small and large size.

The Automatic Filtered Pet Water Dispenser (medium):

This device is suitable for cats or dogs! Your pet will never run out of clean water. The pump creates a movement in the water and this will ensure it is never stagnant. This water dispenser is also available in various sizes.

The Petwant WiFi Smart Pet Feeder:

As an owner of a PetWant 5 meal pet feeder, I don't mind leaving my cat alone for a day or two anymore. I only need to add more food every 2-3 days. Once connected to your WiFi, the feeder is operated entirely from the app. It allows you to choose your pet's lunchtime. Once it's programmed and connected on the WiFi, it will work like a charm.

Pool Cleaner Robots

When it comes to Pool Cleaning, there is a vast choice out there. I will try my best to suggest you the right robot for your pool. This is why I highly recommend you take a look at this Comparison List.
These explanations should help you understand:

• Category: Residential or Commercial. Either if you have an Olympic sized pool or a residential pool, choose the appropriate category.
• Robot Type: Is your pool in-ground or above ground? Some robots will work perfectly fine in both kinds of pools.
• Brush Type: This is the type of brush the robot is equipped with. Some robots don't have brushes. It will also determine what kind of cleaning the robot is able to perform, the type of debris it is able to pick up.
• Cable Length: Mostly related to the size of your pool. Make sure the cable is long enough so the robot can cover your whole pool.
• Cleaning Type: Is the robot able to clean only the floor of your pool or can it climb with suction up to the waterline or a partial section of the walls.
• Filtration Capacity (Microns): This is related to the minimum size of debris the filter is able to pick up.
• Cycle Duration (min): Depending on the size of your pool, some robots will need more than one cycle to cover the whole area.
• Filtration Rate (L/Hour): The quantity of water your robot will filter in an hour.
• Wall Transition Angle: The angle required for a robot to climb and clean the walls.
• Cleaning Surface: Most of the robots can clean any surface except for some Industrial cleaners that will need a PVA brush to clean a tiled floor.

Surface Cleaning Robot

In the domain of surface cleaning, the Solar-Breeze NX2 is a superstar with the following features:

• 3-in-1 autonomous pool cleaning robot
• Powered by two 12-watt solar panels
• Maximum running time per day: 23.5 hours
• Filters water and sanitizes your pool as it goes
• No cords or hoses

Lawnmower Robots

An autonomous wheeled robot that cut the lawn for you, doesn't it sounds like the dream? The robot you need is probably the Robomow RC306 with all these great features:

• Can cut lawn up to 6400 square foot
• Cutting width: 11 inches
• Adjustable cutting height from 0.8'' to 2.75''
• Safest robotic lawn mower with anti-theft alarm
• Mows up to 3 areas automatically with free Robomow App

If you are worried about safety, just sit back, relax and read here the safety features of this robot:

• Child Lock: Prevents anyone from operating it
• Lift Sensors: Instantly stops the blades while the robotic lawn mower is lifted
• On-Board Tilt Sensor: Stops the Robomow when tilted in a vertical position
• Bump Sensors: Immediately stops the rotation of the blade when activated
• Emergency Stop Button: Immediately stops the robot when pressed
• Anti-Theft Alarm: Sounds alarm when mower is removed from its designated area

If the noise is a problem for you, note that the robot noise level is around 68-70dB so it can even be operated during night. The mower has a powerful 3Ah Li-Ion battery that will last around 60 minutes. The Robomow will recharge automatically.

Window Cleaner Robots

Unlike the other kind of window cleaners, the Winbot X uses suction instead of magnets to hold to the surface of the window. The robot operates on a powerful Li-Po battery and has a runtime of 50 minutes. The safety rope is 1.5m long and sticks to the window to ensure the robot doesn't fall on the ground in case of failure or low battery. If cleaning your windows take you a whole day, I believe that this robot is essential for you. 

It's now time to choose!

I know this makes a lot of robots for home appliance, but you must start with your priority. I believe that the 21st century is an era of automation, entertainment, and technology. More and more people around the world are learning electronics to automate their house, create motion machines and extend the possibilities of their environment.

Do you have questions about Domestic robots? Don't hesitate to ask questions in the dedicated category in the forum.

Feel free to post your thoughts on the subject and if you are working on a revolutionary robot, do not hesitate to post it in the Robots Section.