Neato XV11 Robot Vacuum Cleaner

[piokrza]

"Neato have built the XV11 robotic vacuum cleaner perhaps in attempt to knock Roomba off the top spot. The Neato XV11 appears to be a serious challenger to the Roomba range of robots and has a number of significant improvements that could see it do very well.

The Neato XV11 works slightly different when cleaning a room by using what appears to be a more methodical approach. When compared to the Roomba that uses a spiralling pattern along with a system which allows the Roomba to bounce of objects and appears to randomly cover the carpet, the XV11 maps along the walls of the room to know how big the room is. Rooms are typically broken down in to 15′ x 15′ and if power gets low mid clean, the XV11 goes back to it’s base to recharge and then carries on where it left off. Another difference between the two vacuums is that the Roomba uses virtual walls and the XV11 uses laser to detect doorways and wont leave a room unless it is told to do so. The system used on the XV11 is called SLAM which means simultaneous localization and mapping. SLAM has lasers on the top that detect objects 360 degrees around it. With that data pathfinding can be done as well as obstacle avoidance.

Other features are as what can be expected such as edge detection to prevent it falling down the stairs as well as support for other types of floors like laminate etc… Scheduling is also built in allowing you to program the time of day when you want the vacuum to automatically start.

Other things to note with the Neato XV11 is that it runs a lot louder than the Roomba which Neato have said is down to using a more powerful vacuum inside of it. Also, you’ll notice that the front of the vacuum has corners rather than being round like the roomba. This gives the vacuum the ability to get right in to corners when needed. The main advantage of Neato robot vacuum cleaner is that it can clean in corners because of it shape.

The Neato XV11 should become available in January 2010 costing $399."

adapted from: http://www.gadgetvenue.com/neato-xv11-r ... -12163644/

More information:
http://www.neatorobotics.com/user_guide ... asheet.pdf
http://www.neatorobotics.com/user_guide ... nglish.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46veZ8SD ... r_embedded
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46veZ8SD-a8[/video]

[piokrza]

"How it Works
How do you set up your Neato?

First we recommend that you plug in your charging base and place your vacuum on the charging base to do its initial charge. Aside from that, there is no complex set up. Once the status light turns green on the vacuum, just press the START button and your Neato XV-11 will begin mapping and analyzing the room and start cleaning.
How do I start my Neato vacuum?

Just press the start button to clean your floors. If the LCD is not lit, press the START button once to wake up the Neato XV-11 and then one more time to start it.
What is "intelligent cleaning"?

The Neato XV-11 maps its surroundings in a room and determines the doorways when first analyzing a room. It determines the best path to take and starts cleaning the perimeter of the area and then uses a methodical back and forth straight-line pattern to complete the interior. It follows this method, cleaning a room in 15' x 15' segments, one at a time until it finishes cleaning one entire room. Then, it will go to one of the "recognized doorways," drive through the doorway in order to start cleaning the next room.
What are the benefits of the methodical straight-line cleaning of the Neato XV-11 versus the random bounce-around cleaning of other robots?

By using a methodical straight line path to clean, Neato ensures there will be complete floor covering in a timely manner. As well, because it can cover the floor in one pass, the Neato vacuum can use more of its energy to proving stronger suction power for its vacuum as compared to other bounce-around robots.
What is Neato Robotic's RPS (Room Positioning System) TechnologyTM?

Neato's Room Positioning System is the first laser distance sensor suitable for consumer products. RPS technology gives the robot a full 360-degree view of a room so it can create a map of the room, detecting walls, doorways, furniture and other obstacles up to four meters away. With the RPS system, the Neato XV-11 avoids most obstacles that other robots can only detect by impact.
What is House Mode Cleaning?

When cleaning in House Mode, the Neato XV-11 cleans one room at a time. The vacuum detects doorways automatically and limits itself to cleaning one room before moving into the next room to clean it. No setup is required.
What is Room Analyzer?

When the vacuum is started, the Neato XV-11 comes off of its base and starts exploring the room, exploring up to 3 areas. When doing this, it determines where the doorways are and where the walls and furniture are located. The vacuum then determines the best cleaning path to use to clean the room.
What if I don't want my vacuum to clean a certain area? What are Boundary Markers?

What if I don't want my vacuum to clean a certain area? What are Boundary Markers?
What happens if there is a change to an already mapped room, like if there is a new chair added or a person moves into the room?

If an object is removed or added to a room during the cleaning process (e.g. a person walks into or out of the room), the robot will see it as it continuously updates its map and will clean around it.
Batteries & Charging
How does the Neato vacuum charge? Is it capable of automatically going back to its charge station?

Yes. If the Neato XV-11 discovers the base while cleaning, it will return to base to charge when it is done cleaning. If the vacuum does not pass the base while cleaning, the vacuum will return to where it originally started its cleaning effort.
What if the XV-11 runs out of battery during a cleaning run?

If the Neato XV-11 runs low on battery power while cleaning a room, it will return to base during the cleaning cycle, recharge for 30-60 minutes, and then return to finish cleaning where it left off. It will make sure there is some overlap from where it left off ensuring full floor coverage.
What is the recommended charging time?

It takes two to three hours to fully charge. The XV-11 will display a solid green status light when it is fully charged.
What if Neato can't find its charging station?

Because the robot stores maps of its environment, it can remember where it found its base. If the user starts the robot away from its base, it can use its RPS sensor to find its base. If it cannot find its base, it will return to the spot where the user started it.
Where should I locate my charging base?

The charging base should be placed up against a wall near a power plug receptacle. The base needs to be located at least 3 feet away from a corner in a room and it must have approximately 3 feet of open space in front of it for the docking maneuver to work.
How does the vacuum dock on its charging base?

How does the vacuum dock on its charging base?
What if the vacuum accidentally comes off of the charging base?

The vacuum has a "snugging" feature where if it is accidentally knocked off of its charging base, it will try to regain charging contact with it. If the vacuum is moved further away from the charging base, it will assume you want to use it for cleaning and will not try to reconnect.
How do I change the batteries?

If you have a second set of batteries and need to replace them in the robot, follow the following steps:

1. Turn your vacuum upside down
2. Remove the screws from the two rectangular doors on the bottom of the robot next to the tires.
3. Detach the connector from the battery.
4. Insert the new battery into the space allotted.
5. Connect the connector on the battery to the connector on the robot
6. Screw the doors back on above the battery compartments.
7. Turn the XV-11 right side up.
8. Press the START button
9. Press the softkey beneath the LCD screen to select MENU.
10. Choose SUPPORT.
11. Choose NEW BATTERY. This tells the XV-11 to recalibrate the battery capacity.

Scheduling Your Vacuum
How do you schedule your vacuum?

Through the easy to use LCD interface, you can schedule the Neato XV-11 to clean seven days a week. Follow these steps:

1. Press the softkey beneath the LCD screen to select MENU
2. Choose SCHEDULE
3. Choose Set or Change
4. Follow the onscreen prompts to either set a new day or change an existing scheduled time.

You can schedule the vacuum to automatically clean one time per day for each day of the week, even without you having to be present. When the scheduled time arrives, the vacuum automatically starts up, comes off its base and starts cleaning in that room. By scheduling your vacuum, your floors' cleanliness will increase over time. NOTE: You must set the clock on the vacuum before you can set a scheduled cleaning time.
Q: How do you delete a scheduled cleaning time?

Use the LCD interface on your vacuum to delete a scheduled cleaning time. Follow these steps:

1. Press the softkey beneath the LCD screen to select MENU
2. Choose SCHEDULE
3. Choose REMOVE DAY
4. Follow the onscreen prompts to either set a new day or change an existing scheduled time.

How do you set the clock on the vacuum?

Use the LCD interface on your vacuum to set the clock on the vacuum. Follow these steps:

1. Press the softkey beneath the LCD screen to select MENU
2. Choose SET CLOCK
3. Follow the onscreen prompts to set the time and day using the up and down arrows.

General Information
Where can I buy the product?

The Neato XV-11 will be initially available for purchase on the Neato Web site, in addition to retailers such as Hammacher Schlemmer, Amazon.com, and other online retailers in January. We expect to continue to add other retail channels rapidly throughout 2010.
What type of surfaces does Neato work on?

Neato works on all types of floor surfaces including carpet, hardwood, Pergo®, linoleum, vinyl, and tile.
What is the LCD for on top of the vacuum?

The LCD is the interface you use to set the clock, schedule the vacuum to clean, learn about any issue your vacuum wants your help on, etc.
What do the different colors of the status light mean?

The status light is in the shape of an arc around the START button.

* If the light is SOLID GREEN, the vacuum is fully charged and ready to clean.
* If it is PULSING GREEN, it is almost fully charged, but can start a cleaning cycle at any time.
* PULSING AMBER means that the robot is charging, but cannot start a new cleaning cycle until the light turns GREEN.
* SOLID AMBER, please read the LCD to see what you can do to assist the vacuum so that it is ready to clean whenever you need it to. The vacuum cannot start a cleaning cycle when it is SOLID AMBER.

What is the best way to carry the vacuum?

There is a handle at the front of the robot near the orange tab on the top of the vacuum near the bumper. Grasping the handle with your fingers aimed towards the bumper, you can just lift up the vacuum and take it to any room you would like to clean, place it on the floor and press START.
What is the product warranty?

There is a 30-day, money back guarantee and a one year limited warranty. Click here XXX to see the warranty.
Maintenance
How do you clean Neato?

You can use a damp cloth to wipe the vacuum surface if it gets dirty. Do not submerge in water, however.
How do you empty the dirt out of the Neato XV-11?

You have easy access to the dirt bin. Follow these steps:

1. Remove the dirt bin from the top of the vacuum
2. Remove the filter door from the dirt bin
3. Empty the debris into a garbage can
4. Put the filter into the filter door and place it onto the dirt bin
5. Replace the dirt bin into the top of the vacuum.

We recommend that you empty your dirt bin after each cleaning cycle.
How do I clean the drop sensors?

The drop sensors detect precipices like stairs in houses so that the robot will avoid that area. If you need to clean the drop sensors, follow these steps:

* Turn your vacuum upside down
* Use a Q-tip and insert it into the drop sensor window area
* Lightly clean the surface with the Q-tip.

How do I clean my brush?

We recommend that you clean this area as frequently as necessary. Because there is a strong vacuum in the XV-11, most hair debris will be captured in the dirt bin instead of being tangled on the brush. However, if you have any build up, just remove the hair with your hands and put it in the garbage can. If you need to remove the brush from the vacuum, follow these steps:

1. Turn your vacuum upside down.
2. Press on the two brush guard releases to remove the brush guard.
3. Gently remove the brush
4. Remove any debris from the brush
5. You can wipe the brush blades and brush core with a slightly damp cloth to remove dust from it.
6. Re-insert the brush into the vacuum, being careful to first insert the end of the brush with brush gears into the gear chain.
7. Put the brush guard back onto the vacuum and click it in to lock the brush guard releases in place."

adapted from: http://www.neatorobotics.com/

[Jaroslav]

Interesting robot.
Looks a bit ugly, maybe they can't afford a designer yet?

It's a shame that
1) they didn't implement the self cleaning base when they want to create the best robot in the world
2) they ship just to US and Canada (but ebay solves it).

[skyjacks]

Too bad for the edge cleaning too, no side brush, we see on videos that there is 2-3 cm that is not done on the robot side (the video with the flour).
So what about a shape to do corners if it's impossible to do them ?

[a3842276]

Another video:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwg25VphCxA&feature=player_embedded[/video]

[Fraggboy]

Very interesting robotic vacuum!! I wonder what it looks like underneath. Particularly, the length of brush and size of the vacuum inlet.

[cleanmateroomba]

I think it is interesting too. How much does it retail for? I hope we can get a review of one soon.

,

[Fraggboy]

I think it is interesting too. How much does it retail for? I hope we can get a review of one soon.

,

They have been saying $399.99

[someonehs]

This looks like it could do VERY well against the roomba, has all the features I feel that are missing... Particularly the mapping and the resuming cleaning until done recharge thing.

[gmu_grad06]

The navigation technology on this robot is amazing for the price. Here is a link to a discussion regarding the laser rangefinder on the robot:

http://www.hizook.com/blog/2009/12/20/u ... o-robotics

It is remarkable that Neato was able to create this technology at the $30 price point. If Neato's robot has anything close to the build quality of the roomba, then irobot has some serious competition on its hands, especially given that it appears that neato's vacuum motor is significantly more powerful than roomba's. Two main reasons why roomba is not fully autonomous are as follows:

1. The robot isn't very good at doing multiple rooms, especially if the home can't be cleaned in one battery cycle.
2. Regular maintenance/bin emptying is required.

It appears that Neato has solved problem number one with its autonomous navigation from room to room without the need for virtual walls, and its ability to begin cleaning again where it left off after recharging the battery. It remains to be seen which company can solve problem number 2.

[gmu_grad06]

Another interesting article:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robo ... pectrum%29

It looks like the brainpower leading Neato might rival Irobot itself. This article mentions that their leadership team came from Agilent technologies, Willow Garage, and the Stanford AI lab. Irobot has got to be scared, or preparing a patent infringement suit, or both.

[someonehs]

always good to see some competition, forces everyone to get better! iRobot must have something under dev to compete with this. I hope it comse out around the same time so we can see some comparisions... I think i'm going to wait until this AND a new roomba come out, see who the winner is, then upgrade.

Anyone heard any new info on roombas/scoobas coming out? Where is the best place to check for that sort of stuff?

[piokrza]

Another video:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwg25VphCxA&feature=player_embedded[/video]

Unfortunately it bumps into things - look at 2:54 and 3:32

[piokrza]

'Made in China'

[piokrza]

Video:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZaqD2j3w4w&NR=1[/video]

[piokrza]

http://www.neatorobotics.com/user_guide ... asheet.pdf
4 in. in H = 10.16cm - it is quite high, similar as old Samsung VC-RE70V (10.5cm) Roomba, new Samsung and new LG has ~9-9.5cm in height. It is quite big gap, especially if I have "problematic" furniture (~10cm gap between floor and bed).

[piokrza]

[djos]

I luv the laser room mapping but the Neato has the following flaws imo:

1/ no side brush at all which means it doesn't do true each to edge cleaning
2/ excessively simple beater brush may have a tough time lifting things from carpet like burs and anything gripping the carpet (unlike roomba's dual brush system which copes well in these situations)
3/ square nose - imo it will get stuck more easily than round vacs like roomba & tango as it cant "spin" out of a tight spot as easily.
4/ may not be as maneuverable as roomba due to fixed direction castors
5/ butt ugly!

on the up side:

1/ bin is big
2/ laser mapping looks to be best room mapping solution yet
3/ appears to have tons of suction power.

[piokrza]

I luv the laser room mapping but the Neato has the following flaws imo:

Have you this bot on your own?

3/ appears to have tons of suction power.

How you know?

[Fraggboy]

It's speculation as of now. They haven't released it yet. The only test I physically saw at CES was that it picked up some cheerio's. I didn't see any fine dirt/dust that was thrown down and picked up by the robot. I did feel the vacuum outlet and it (somewhat) compares to the Roomba. I didn't have any equipment to test airflow (let alone own any), so I can't honestly say it's on par, worse or better with the Roomba.

Hopefully if this robot lives up to its name, it will be easier for ANYONE in the World to obtain one. I didn't check their website or email them to ask if they plan on International shipping. But, eBay solves that for some.