News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

News and information about the Samsung Navibot, Tango, Furot and VC series Robotic Vacuums. All discussion and troubleshooting questions go here.
RobotJunkie30
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by RobotJunkie30 »

A 3 week update. I have sold my old vr200. The main reasons for keeping the samsung are:

Ability to vaccuming high pile carpets.
No side brush to change and spend money on and find tangled funny places.
It just gathers more dust period. I do not know how bit it always finds something.
Cleans corners better.
Quiet on lowest setting and runs forever.


As previously mentioned the trap situation has not happened again. It did run 5 times after that so it is rare that this can happen. The irradical banging is not something I have seen again after a hard reset.If getting a brand new start it and then restart it again. This should solve it. It did stop once for no reason with exclamation mark on display that was weird. And as previously mentioned navigation is not comparable with VR200 but is seems less sensitive to closed doors and moved furniture and people walking by, it is acceptable. So for anybody thinking of getting this robot yes go ahead and try it. It does have some quirks but all of the robots have them, and I think you are getting a robot that is just as good as the irobot 980 costing 30-40% less.
glnc222
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by glnc222 »

I am curious what advantage was found with the ultrasound sensors on VR200 lacking on Neato's. VR200 owners do not comment much on performance, what with it not distributed in the U.S., more expensive etc.
RobotJunkie30
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by RobotJunkie30 »

glnc222 wrote:I am curious what advantage was found with the ultrasound sensors on VR200 lacking on Neato's. VR200 owners do not comment much on performance, what with it not distributed in the U.S., more expensive etc.
It touches objects less and probably does not have issues with mirrors and shiny objects. Also it senses objects that are lower than the laser turrent. It is just a better machine than neatos. If you are thinking of suction it is one of the best. It can easily be compared with samsungs top models. I ran it on "eco mode" and it just got everything up - hairs dust etc.it did not have a sensor for rugs or dust which is a shame as on max suction it was powerful but loud. But there is always VR300 to look forward to. :D
RobotJunkie30
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by RobotJunkie30 »

A question. If it gets stuck on whatever in a cleaning session and you start it again. It starts a new cleaning session from beginning and it forgets what it cleaned before it got stuck?
glnc222
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by glnc222 »

Indeed this is Samsung's style, mentioned in the manual fine print, I have pointed out in the 9000 thread (shutting down on an error instead of remaining on with error display). It contrasts with experience with Neato robots. One purpose can be to insure the battery does not run down while stuck for hours while user is away -- which has been observed on Neato's. Ideally they should have a time delay of a few minutes to release the robot manually from traps, but there are a lot of details in all these products which could be improved.

[edit] Note the bot can be restarted in another room, without the dock, to work back to the original place. It would return to the new starting place, and after half an hour go searching for the dock everywhere, without a memory of it.

One reason Powerbot can get stuck is an improperly programmed wheel extension sensor for lifting off the floor, where bumping the side can cause a "wheelie" under drive torque lifting one side tripping a shut down. Neatos looked at more data, all sensors. So I fixed this by holding in the wheels to disable the switch sensor on the suspension arm, with a bit of cardboard and tape as shown in this thread and the 9000 thread. It was possible this was improved in the new 7000 models, as they had added counter weights in the front of the latest 9350, but one user posted what appeared to be the same old effect. Note when this is done the wheels will turn briefly when picked up off the floor; as the manual advises, never lift by holding the wheels.

Another 9000 fault, insufficient bumper along the side, looks improved in the 7000.

Also note when left off the dock for half an hour, it automatically starts and searches the whole house for the dock. Shut off with the bottom "emergency", i.e. battery disconnect, switch when not wanted. This switch is covered with soft plastic dust seal.

Could you post a photo of the battery label or the info there, Samsung part no. and the voltage, and capacity rating in mah shown there --- for comparison with the 9000, and checking prices on samsungparts.com? Specify which 7000 model as they have different run time capacities, prices.
RobotJunkie30
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by RobotJunkie30 »

https://goo.gl/photos/viJXB1k7RpcRW7d76
https://goo.gl/photos/xuTC77GihuzfUL389

So this happened. MI robot absolutely crushes the samsung in navigation, features, cleaning reliability and battery life. It vacumed the house 5 times not a single hangup, error or navigation flaw. It just might be better than my VR200. As for reliability we will see. Last 2 runs samsung just ignored half of my house completely and it got tilted again. So this is not a program schedule and forget vaccum. The MI robot is. I really wanted to like it but it is not easy vaccum to live with as it has 50% chance of finishing the whole house.
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by glnc222 »

Not many owners of the new smaller Powerbot yet to report. The Mi is noted as having a large battery for long run time, but has difficulty traveling on thick carpets (partly intake design effect, compared to Neato and others), and some quality control issues in mfg. and delivery. I also do not know how effectively it cleans carpets deeply, which I have tested over months on Samsung (besides the side brush being useless on carpet). The Mi lidar is limited with reflective surfaces, while the camera robots require lighting to run. Lidar has long term durability issues, mechanical wear. There are a couple of reports of Samsung navigation failing to cover the house, but no details are provided as to exactly how it fails and what optical conditions might affect the camera, whether units are defective or whatever. Other customers report good navigation. I had none on the older 9000 model but not in a large house, though no such difficulties are reported by others on that model; whether they messed up something on the new model, new software, is a question. There are ways to analyze the camera performance, using parts of the house, identify what is happening, not of interest to the non-technical consumer.

[edit] As previously posted, the tilting mentioned seems to require a simple fix to prevent the wheel extension sensors tripping. Every brand of robots seems to have its own unique deficiency often fixable by owners. They are all pushing the envelope doing robotics at low cost.
glnc222
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by glnc222 »

Did you set a MAX power mode when the unit fails to cover the house? This reduces run time and may not be handled in software as well as the normal mode. Also it automatically adjusts power itself now.
RobotJunkie30
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by RobotJunkie30 »

glnc222 wrote:Did you set a MAX power mode when the unit fails to cover the house? This reduces run time and may not be handled in software as well as the normal mode. Also it automatically adjusts power itself now.
No it was on quiet mode it used about 30% of battery and returned to the dock. It completely ignored the large dining room where the base sits. It did this 3 times randomly. No problems with shiny objects the navigation is not comparable to the MI robot at best samsungs navigation seems basic and faulty at times in comparison. Mi robot worked for 5 days non stop not failing once in any way. At this point i was exchanging the powerbot due to bumper error and frustrating over the strange quirks described above so qality is in my case better on the MI robot.
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by glnc222 »

You are saying the Samsung started at the dock in a dining room and immediately left the room to another, without cleaning the first room? Was the dock aligned with a door across the room, going out straight? It would be interesting what happens when the dock is moved to the other wall not facing a door, so it will turn within the first room. Anyway, they are all up to personal taste.
I do not recommend Quiet mode as very low power for cleaning, maybe useful on hard floors only -- which could be the case...
RobotJunkie30
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by RobotJunkie30 »

glnc222 wrote:You are saying the Samsung started at the dock in a dining room and immediately left the room to another, without cleaning the first room? Was the dock aligned with a door across the room, going out straight? It would be interesting what happens when the dock is moved to the other wall not facing a door, so it will turn within the first room. Anyway, they are all up to personal taste.
I do not recommend Quiet mode as very low power for cleaning, maybe useful on hard floors only -- which could be the case...
There are 6 doors in that room. No it is not facing a dor when it starts directly. It just does a straight pass to the end of the room cames back and turns right and goes to right side of the station cleans that part of the house and cames back and docks. Yes it might be worth a try to move the station but it sits in dining room as we often turn it on just to clean that room. And there is no other place that is suitable. But I think that the programming should be sound enough for people do decide where it should be placed not the robots limitations.
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by glnc222 »

Sounds like a defective unit, doing half of the first room and quitting?

The cleaning pattern used by Samsung does not seem to do one room at a time, apart from its "select a room" feature on the more expensive 9350. It does edges by running straight into them instead of along the edge, and goes as far as possible each crossing, until it bumps another wall -- minimizing time consuming turns. It then has to return to unfinished parts of rooms to complete coverage. It will run a minimum of half an hour doing extra in small spaces.

Ecovacs Deebot claims its own version of "select a room", not surprising given how it is mainly a matter of the smartphone app, with the support inherent in ability to recharge and resume where left off, using the mapping performed -- and not discarding the map at the end of cleaning.
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by piokrza »

7 different models of VR7000 are available in Germany :shock: http://www.samsung.com/de/vacuum-cleaners/robot/

in user's manual found there http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/conte ... 3L_0.5.pdf p. 15 you can find that the Virtual Guard unit is:
✻ (Included with SR2✴M707 Series only) For series SR2✴M704✴✴✴ / SR2✴M705✴✴✴ /
SR2✴M706✴✴✴ it has to be purchased.)
no word about SR1✴M701✴✴✴, SR1✴M702✴✴✴ or SR1✴M703✴✴✴ series
Last edited by piokrza on June 16th, 2017, 10:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by glnc222 »

Very strange selling German models with Virtual Guard optical boundary markers and U.S. models with magnetic strip markers. The German 9350 large model also uses Virtual Guards compared to the different U.S. model, where the strips where first introduced. The German 7070 comes with a guard, the 7060 guard bought separately.

Responding to Virtual Guards is merely software as the receivers are shared with the remote and dock beacon always included. Whether mag strip models also respond to Virtual Guards unknown.
Mag strip sensing requires sensors for magnetic fields added in the U.S. models. I wonder if they are in the German models and just not used. Customer service has no information.

Any customer with Neato robot mag strips in Germany could try those on a Samsung to find out. The technology is similar with standard detector components.

additonal engineering spec
The German site shows for the high end fan power 130w electrical, 20w suction at the intake, and adds 60w suction "at the motor", missing from the U.S. website. It is known that the cyclone extraction Dyson style consumes a lot of power, but any kind of filter also reduces the end power. I have found the Samsung 9000 cleans well in normal mode, and the Max mode for the power ratings is not needed. The new 7000 has automatic carpet detection for increased power, in addition to the dirt detector increase previously. Run time is reduced by half in Max mode.
I am also concerned the Max mode could wear the battery out faster, and these batteries are very large and expensive compared to other brands. I observed a reduction in run time over months on Max mode though not on normal.

If anyone owning a 7000 can post a photo or specs from the battery label that would be interesting.
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by marquesalan »

I'd be scared to have this thing charging in my home if they purchase their batteries from the cheapest suppliers. Galaxy fires! It could burn your house down when you're gone. They make EVERYTHING! Samsung, stuck to one thing DVD go it right.
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by glnc222 »

The cell phone battery is a different kind, newly designed and squished into to small a space, hasty work. The robot batteries use cells they have made for years with major market presence, a different class entirely, large standard size for machines for which they are major suppliers to the entire industry. There are no battery complaints from owners of Samsung robots available for some years now.
The Powerbot batteries are larger than most other robot brands, more like the Dyson robot, so are more expensive, but could last three years or more.
I think the cell phone battery was not even made by the same subsidiary, from the news reports.

I see build quality problems, defects and repairs, reported on the other major robot brands but see no reports on Samsung Powerbots, and the internal construction looks more solid (the real quality of electronics, though, is invisible, in the ratings for the components used and quality control in manufacture). They even make the components used on the circuit boards, microchips and so on, with the their major business supplying those to the major electronics companies. So they have more resources to do electronics right, and the price may be accordingly higher.
There is always uncertainty with electronics products but the odds seem better with this major supplier. They could not be selling TV's if they showed a lot of defects and repairs.

This does not mean they do all the robot software and design perfectly, as post previously. None of the other brands are perfect either. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
glnc222
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by glnc222 »

One German user at Roboter-Forum reports the hair cutting feature does not work on very fluffy fur of Persian cats, but might work on stiffer hair. Also the edge cleaner shutter does not pick up hair stuck there. Does the breed of cat matter?

It seems odd the shutter is used up against walls cleaned from the front, and would serve more for corners to get suction out the side, in place of side brushes. It would even seem counter productive pressing the front against walls. The Powerbot does not travel along the wall as far as I know, and instead bumps straight in at the end of each pass, compensating for lack of side brushes. The 9000 series latest models (they do not add to software on old models with updates besides bug fixes), had a three pass corner procedure.
(Side brushes are not effective on carpet, though one model of Powerbot, 9051, has them, though not shown in the advertisement, only in the manual -- peculiar marketing. Perhaps it was a marketing test.)

Perhaps the combo brush with bristles is better for certain kinds of pet fur, though the brush must be cleaned. Neato introduced its bristle brush for pets, after an original all blade brush. The blade brush avoids cleaning bristles which were a complaint against Roomba original bristle brushes.

Still what I notice is lack of reports of defects and repairs compared to other models, though on the Powerbot, not the earlier Navibot, an earlier industry phase.
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by glnc222 »

New U.S. Model R7065

Yet another U.S. model has appeared on the website, without price yet, 7065. Seems identical to the 7070 except is not packaged with an extra filter, magstrip still included. The 7070 is still offered at $600 as of July 2017.
I see no wear on the 9000 filter after a couple dozen washings. Pretty sturdy (if handled carefully; I clean them back-washing, backside against faucet). They are expensive, though, I think around $25 from samsungparts.com.
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by gerind7 »

Hi everyone, I recently purchased on the Amazon the powerbot VR2DM704IUU. I found myself well, it works fine, but after 2 weeks of use, the wheels have begun to make a very annoying noise, like the strap of a car before break! Someone happened? However today I have asked for the change and Amazon has sent me a new one. There are some manuals for disassembling this robot? Thanks to all and sorry for my English :?
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Re: News 2017: Samsung POWERbot VR7000

Post by glnc222 »

Disassembly of the 9000 series was posted http://www.robotreviews.com/chat/viewto ... 22&t=19368
The finishing cover over the assembly screws is pried off first from the back.
Samsungparts.com also sells a service manual with instructions on a thumb drive, but whether there is a new one for the 7000 don't know. They are similar in design except for details of shape and size (and the new intake shutter). Partmaster.co.uk shows the exploded parts diagram for some units in the catalog, from the service manual.

Noise from drive wheels can be from scraping wheels against the case from misalignment or defects in gearing, maybe missing lubrication. Any defects in new units are best replaced to at least start off with proper manufacture.
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