New 550 Model At Costco

[Howardpm]

Was at Costco today and saw a new Roomba 550 model. This one had a carbon fiber looking top and used a new round filter and a slightly different docking base. I called Irobot but they were less that useful, one guy I talked to said it sounded like the new 501 series that had not been released yet. Anyone seen this model or tried it?

[Howardpm]

Ok, just as an update it looks like HSN is selling a new 560 with the new filters/base. Here is a link.

http://home-solutions.hsn.com/irobot-roomba-chestnut-colored-vacuum-robot_p-5749306_xp.aspx?web_id=5749306&ocm=sekw|cust_picks


Would be nice to know what updates this model has besides the filter/base etc.

[Howardpm]

Ok, went out and purchased it here are 2 pictures. As you can see it has a Carbon Fiber type finish on it.

This model comes with 2 extra filters and 2 extra brushes. 2 Virtual Walls (they are 1/2 the size of the light houses and only saw Auto/Off on them.

The filters have been redesigned and are curved now.
The charging base is also a lot smaller.

Also the packaging is a lot worse then before, they used to pad it with styrophone, not its a paper like material.

Also the handle was removed, god knows why.

Its currently charging, so I don't know if its any better or worse yet.

[stugots]

The charging base is also a lot smaller.

Yes, but the power converter brick is still huge. I wonder why it's still so large.

[Howardpm]

Ok quick review:

New Virtual Wall sucks, I've owned every Roomba model since the original and this may be the worst design. Pain to open and you can't even adjust the range on them. My old 550 came with the lighthouses, seems like a step backwards, maybe cost cutting?

Looks like the dirt tray has been resigned, they now call it the Aero-Vac Bin, looks like the fan to suck in dust has actually been moved into the dust bin and is now surrounded by a rounder filter which seems to take up a lot of space. I don't like this design I'm touching more dust and dirt then I did with all previous ones, you have to put your hands into the dust bin to pull the filter out now to tap clean. Major step backwards, I can't tell if its pulling up more dirt/dust or not. I did run a full cycle and had a full bin to empty.

The brushes are the newer models with the green ends with yellow caps.

The side brush went from 4 bristles down to 3.


On a side note, this unit is a lot more quite then my old 550, hopefully that doesn't equate to less power.


Also looks like your able to order an optional remote (sort of like the older models, rather then that ugly command module for the earlier units.

Judging by the new manual, you can now order a High-Capacity Sweeper Bin, which is for large debris pickup, from the picture it just looks like the normal bin minus the filter.

[mfortuna]

Is the new 500 compatible with lighthouses and scheduling?

[gayle28607]

This is my first Roomba. I got it at Costco last Saturday because I loved the Dirt Dog so much that I had had for one week. It's the 550, and I have been using it a lot. One thing I've noticed in trying to figure out where it fits in the Roomba line up is that the design LOOKS like the 610, and it seems to be capable of covering a lot of territory on one charge. Maybe 850 feet, like the upper end Roombas?

[roddenshaw]

Gayle or Howard - could you take some more details pictures of the debris bin please?

[gregjsmith]

Also the packaging is a lot worse then before, they used to pad it with styrophone, not its a paper like material.

I would prefer the paper to the styrofoam. It's more recyclable.

[Howardpm]

Here ya go


Without Filter




With Filter

[Gordon]

...Looks like the dirt tray has been resigned, they now call it the Aero-Vac Bin,...

There is no question, the debris bin has been largely re-worked! This "Aero-Vac Bin" represents the most significant bin revision since the 5XX series introduced its more powerful, more efficient suction-fan!

...looks like the fan to suck in dust has actually been moved into the dust bin...

The way to view that portion of the revision is, the 5XX fan has always been in the large-debris compartment, but the suction entrance to the fan has always had a separate plenum which draws outside air up through a pair of close-spaced squeegee lips, thus keeping the fine particle movement totally separate from the coarser debris being whisked up via the bristle brush.

This Aero-Vac Bin configuration produces the first Roomba ever that pulls a vacuum on the main brushes' chamber!

In the Aero-Vac Bin design, the fan assembly is scrunched upward a little and then slightly tilted so its entrance faces the oncoming flux of airborne particles.

...and is now surrounded by a rounder filter which seems to take up a lot of space. ...

The debris accrual volume of the Aero-Vac Bin has is probably larger than the predecessor 5XX bins (those having fans), because deletion of the separate suction plenum, and its associate separating wall, ends up donating additional space to the debris chamber.

You could prove that concept, one way or the other by doing a dry, volumetric comparison of the the two bins. Simply measure some dry. granular (rice come to mind) material, that somewhat emulates a fluid, into each debris-bin (open ends facing upward), then compare the two volumes. Let us know what you find, please.

I don't like this design I'm touching more dust and dirt then I did with all previous ones, you have to put your hands into the dust bin to pull the filter out now to tap clean.

I see your point about that, and it reminds me of a question or two. I'm inserting a composite of your two bin images, for reference:

Question 1: Looking at the top image -- with filter in place -- it looks like two rails on the filter-frame slide into the bin, guided by two grooved tracks (visible in the lower image). Is that how it works?

Question 2: In that same image it appears the filter structure is one piece? Is that true? One piece filter, or two?

Question 3: If its a single structure, it is difficult to see how those two filter panels, shown in the first image you posted, actually fit into the curved filter frame shown in the above, composite, image. Do those two replacement panels fit the curved filter (they appear too flat, and lack taper!)?

Major step backwards, I can't tell if its pulling up more dirt/dust or not.

That is a good point! I wonder if iRobot actually performed some verification tests before committing the Aero-Vac Bin to production(?). I can visualize either a loss in Roomba's ability to collect fine particles just as easily as I can see it may be a wash. No one has stated (in your thread) the Aero-Vac Bin has no squeegee lips, but I see none in the pix, and I see no way for Roomba to use them now that air-flow has been redirected, so I assert they are no longer present.

Lacking a narrow squeegee slit for inlet air to pass through (and gain high velocity that collects surface grit and short fiber bits), the air velocity everywhere else (outside of the fan) will be much reduced and tend lack hurricane force--so to speak, however, that reduced air flow may still be moving fast enough to capture some portion of the cloud of dust that is stirred up by the main brushes, and then pull those bits onto the curved filter mesh. That's the questionable part of this re-design!

Another older (3XXX and 5XX models) feature not seen as part of the Aero-Vac Bin construction is the toothed rake that attempts to comb fibers out of the main bristle brush.

[Alaeth]

Very interesting... since I recently started having trouble with the impeller on one if my 580s, I wonder of the new bin will fit the existing 500 series bots.

[edit] Is it possible the bin above is the high-capacity bin? I couldn't find an image showing the inside of the bin, and I don't have that style...

[mfortuna]

It's interesting that someone testing a beta roomba for Irobot posted pictures of the robot but then took them down when he was advised Irobot would not like pictures of a pre-production robot being posted online. I guess it was the new 550 since the tester posted it had no rubber squeegees. So it appears Irobot did do 3rd party testing, not sure how much internal testing was done. I recall this was about 6 months or so ago.

I beta tested the ConnectR and the agreement very clearly stated you would post nothing about it on the internet. Wait, I just did.

[Fraggboy]

In a nutshell, it seems iRobot took the Professional series (600) and downgraded some more to make a more affordable Roomba, thus not having the Lighthouses, took the handle away, no wireless board inside the Roomba, etc..

I hope they don't plan on making all of the series like this. With the number scheme with this version, it seems that they might be replacing all of them instead of adding to the line..

I personally love the Lighthouse technology. It works. Don't take that away. Improve on it!!

[Howardpm]

Question 1: Is the new 500 compatible with lighthouses and scheduling?

Not sure, I returned my older unit in exchange for this one, the other one was having some issues.


Question 2: Looking at the top image -- with filter in place -- it looks like two rails on the filter-frame slide into the bin, guided by two grooved tracks (visible in the lower image). Is that how it works?

Correct, the new filter slides into the two rails in the new dust bin.


Question 3: In that same image it appears the filter structure is one piece? Is that true? One piece filter, or two?

Sorry, that picture I took was the additional filters, so its just 1 stacked on another. This model came with 3 filters.


Question 4: If its a single structure, it is difficult to see how those two filter panels, shown in the first image you posted, actually fit into the curved filter frame shown in the above, composite, image. Do those two replacement panels fit the curved filter (they appear too flat, and lack taper!)?

N/A


I've used the room 3 times now (left it running while at work). I still can't tell if its picking up much more then the older models. On a side note I really do miss the handle (can they really be saving much money removing that).

Also the brush head caps are still getting a lot of dog hair wrapped round them.



So far I've now been using it for 2 days

[piokrza]

Hey, I found here http://www.irobotkorea.co.kr/product/pr ... num=100073 some informations about new Roomba. It look like refreshed old 550 series Roomba.

Comparing with old model:

+ It has new cleaning head with new bristle brush (old one had hybrid nozzle (brush and rubber)),
+ new improved and compacted virtual wall (with automatic adjustment) and home base,
+ new remote control,
+ for the first time irobot used suction fan after main brushes (capacity of the sweeper bin was enlarged and dust bin was eliminate), so now it can sucks all kind of debris directly from cleaning head to dust bin - the dust isn't float above cleaned surfaces but just sucked,
+ stronger suction fan,
+ improved software,
+ improved sensor technology,
+ can overcome doorsills up to 1.5cm,

- no squeege suction,
- 3 arms of side brush (before 6),
- no lighthouse virtual wall,

Does it look like the Roomba is better than Samsung robot because it has two brushes rubber and bristle (wider cleaning head) ? opposite to Samsung which uses one main brush. I don't believe in that. I think that IRobot feels threatened from Samsung and this is the reason why it is compared with the Samsung bot. Samsung bots become more popular in recent months because they are most inteligent (any robot is more than Samsung ) and (I think) more customers are interested in them. The price is comparable with Roomba 500 series. So Irobot must doing something to attract customers - they put sucking fan after main brush. It probably changed the way to clean 180 degrees but it isn't too late to make change

first on left is Roomba, next to is Samsung

[jfinke]

I picked one of these up today.

I had an original roomba many years ago from brookstone. I eventually took it back as it could not keep up with my cats. I decided to have another go at it.

This is a costco only model as the printed documentation inside the box reflects costco's tech support.

It comes with two virtual walls, not light houses. That is disappointing.

I just ran it for the first time today. We are redoing our master bedroom, so there is no furniture in it, just a 14x16 room. My old one would spin in circles and shoot off from there. This one just seemed to make large arcs across the room and then follow the walls. It really seemed to like one corner quite a bit. Even after running our dyson twice beforehand, it still picked up enough crap to fill the bin.

It seems you have to set the virtual wall back a good 6" or so from where you really want to stop it from going. Also, it really seemed to avoid anything around the charging station. I was hoping to have the light houses. I will have to see how I can set this up so I can schedule it during the day. I am sure it can still use the light house technology, but I don't feel like spending another $40 to iRobot at this time. The nice thing about costco is that I can always take it back no questions asked.

[piokrza]

[Fraggboy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSoSXic_nC8

That video is not the newest version from Costco. Your Roomba has the handle, whereas the newest Roomba the handle is obsolete..

[iker]

The new model from Costco (model 551) is NOT compatible with the Lighthouse design (only compatible with basic virtual wall). I realized that after purchasing two lighthouses for my 551 ($80!!) that are off course not responding.

I don't know if i should return the roomba and order a new one compatible with the lighthouse or stick with the 551 and move it from room to room manually (especially if the new vacuum design of the 551 is better).

Any feedback on the old design Vs the new "aerovac" vacuum?
Is the lighthouse feature worth the pain of changing the roomba (and to pay the extra $ for a compatible model)?