Robot Roundup - Are you still doing your own chores?

If you grew up watching Hanna Barbera’s futuristic 1962 cartoon, The Jetsons, you might wonder where our version of Rosey the Robot is today.  The show was actually set in the year 2062 – so we’ve still got 45 years to catch up with the flying cars, 9 hour work week of simply pushing buttons, and smart talking robotic housekeepers. Research and Markets released a report in February of this year that the global personal robots market is expected to reach $34.1 billion by 2022.  Cleaning robots have claimed the largest share of the market and are expected to generate the largest revenue during the forecast period.  That’s not surprising, given that we are always looking for ways to make life easier and reclaim more free time. We thought we’d take a look at some of the robots that are pitching in on household chores today. Robotic vacuums have been around since 2002, when iRobot released its first Roomba.  There are any number of robotic vacs available today, with increasingly sophisticated features and the ability to interface with whole house systems.  The most recent updates to WiFi-enabled Roomba vacuums is the addition of Amazon Alexa voice control that allows users to control their Roomba through Alexa-enabled devices such as Amazon Echo or Echo Dot. Neato Robotics Botvac Connected Series robot vacuums allow users to not only control their bots through Google Home, but also schedule cleanings and check battery levels remotely.  If you prefer a robot that mops instead of just vacuuming, the iRobot Braava 380t can dry sweep or damp mop your floors with reusable microfiber cleaning cloths. To complete your household surface cleaning, Ecovacs Winbot 930 will tackle your windows.  It will clean framed and unframed glass, including Thermopane and frosted or textured glass.  This personal window washer calculates an efficient cleaning path and avoids edges and obstacles to leave your windows squeaky clean. Now that the inside of your home is assigned to a team of personal cleaning robots, what about the outside chores? The brawny, outdoorsy cousin to robot vacuums is the robotic lawnmower.  The Robomow RC306 takes charge of keeping your grass trimmed and tidy, covering up to 6,400 square feet of lawn.  It is designed for low electric energy consumption without harmful emissions. It can mow up to 3 areas automatically with the free Robomow App, and can handle rough terrain. Built in anti-theft and safety features prevent jealous neighbors from “borrowing” this bot to do their chores. For pool owners, the Solar-Breeze NX works around the clock to keep pools skimmed and swim ready. This solar-powered robot collects dirt, pollen, leaves and other debris from the surface of the pool, before it sinks and decays. Sensors and software allow the robot to know when it is no longer making forward progress and instructs it to backup and turn slightly to extract itself. There is also a programmed back-up cycle to ensure that the robot covers the entire surface of the pool every 2 hours. During the day, excess energy is stored in a rechargeable lithium ion battery to power the bot through the night. Keeping the pool cleaner with solar power means drastic reductions in pool pump running time and significant savings on energy costs. With robots assisting with your chores, you’ll have more time for relaxing around the barbeque.  And, there’s no need to get messy cleaning up the grill afterwards.  The Grillbot automatically scrubs away grease and grime while allowing the grill to retain its seasoned flavor. Disposable brushes and three motor power handle the heavy cleaning, and when the work is done, Grillbot alerts you with an alarm. When your squad of cleaning robots has taken care of the house, yard and pool, maybe you’re just looking for a robot to hang out with.  The Hasbro Golden Pup Interactive Robot doesn’t do windows, but he will play with the kids, cuddle with Grandma or entertain the family with his cute antics.  This pup has a lifelike coat and responds to motion, touch and your voice.  And best of all, you won’t have to clean up after him. If you’re not moving toward George Jetson’s world by having at least one robot to help out around the house, maybe you’re behind the times.  We’re helping our customers automate their homes with robots and spend more time doing the things they enjoy.