Xiaomi is rapidly expanding its portfolio of smart home appliances. The latest addition to the range of smart products for home is the Roomba-like vacuum robot called the Mi Robot Vacuum.
The design of the Mi Robot Vacuum follows the industry standard of a disc-shaped bot gliding around the house to suck up dirt. However, Xiaomi has introduced quite an impressive sensing system in its Mi Robot Vacuum that comes with enhanced environment detection system comprising of 12 sensors.
The laser sensor fitted in the vacuum robot can 360-degree scan its surroundings 1800 times per second.
The same technology is embedded in the rooftop of the self-driving cars. The laser distance scanning is considered more accurate at obstacle avoidance than the IR sensors.
Xiaomi claimed that the Mi Robot Vacuum would stay 1cm from the wall, enabling it to pick up dirt backed up in the corners. On the other hand, the basic vacuum robots use the ‘bump’ to detect the objects in their way. The introduction of the laser distance sensors is different from the IR sensors used in the top-of-the-range iRobot Roomba 980.
The companion Mi Home app of the Mi Robot Vacuum will keep the users updated about the robot’s progress as it cleans the home and will also allow them to control it. Mi Robot Vacuum comes at $254 while the Roomba 980 hangs a price tag of $900.
Neato’s Botvacs featuring the laser distance sensors range between $400 to $700. Mi Robot Vacuum will be available for purchase via the official Xiaomi store, Mi.com starting September 6.
