Technabob » vacuum

Toshiba Smarbo Ready to Take on the Roomba

Conner Flynn — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:05:41 +0000

The robot vacuum wars are now heating up, thanks to humans being too lazy to clean their own floors. And so Toshiba has announced the Smarbo robot vacuum. I hope it is better than it’s name.

This little cleaning bot has two CPUs, though we don’t know what kind, a camera, and 38 sensors that cover things like gyro, acceleration, range detection and more. According to Toshiba, the Smarbo will clean an area of 100sqm in about 90 minutes. If you are worried about electrical usage you’ll be happy to know that it costs about $0.03 (USD) for a room of that size. That’s dirt cheap for a maid!

Of course it will move around objects just like the Roomba and it can be programmed to do things like concentrate on small areas. So when can we expect this Roomba-killer to hit the market? It should hit Japan on October 1 for a whopping $1,175 (USD), and for that price you also get a remote and the charging station.

The robot war for your floor begins on Oct. 1st.

[via Techcrunch]

The Magic Glove Vacuum and Dusts All At Once

Hazel Chua — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:30:46 +0000

I remember back in the day when vacuum cleaners were huge, noisy, metallic machines that had to be lugged around or dragged around on stands with wheels. My mother used to have me carry the heavy vacuum while she went around with the hose and the vacuum’s brush head, poking it around here and there and in corners everywhere. That’s one of the reasons why I hate having to vacuum.

If vacuuming isn’t one of your favorite chores, then the Magic Glove might be something you’d like to own.

It doesn’t really help you do magic, but it can certainly take a little bit of the chore out of vacuuming itself. The Magic Glove is a concept design by Christian Sallustro and hopes to cut down your house cleaning time in half. That’s because it would vacuum and dust at the same time, allowing you to hit two birds with one stone in a neat and compact device.

The Magic Glove comes with a wrist strap which secures the device on your arm. It also comes with a rechargeable battery so you don’t have to stop your cleaning when you run out of juice.

I imagine this device would add a little bit of fun to your daily dusting routine. It’s amazing how a device that used to stand at least two feet tall is now something that can be held in your hand or fitted into a single glove.

[via Yanko Design]

Puppy Robotic Vacuum: Hoover! Come Here, Boy!

Shane McGlaun — Thu, 05 May 2011 17:05:22 +0000

Anything that can get my kids interested in cleaning up around the house is good by me. Both of my kids like toys that move around and animals, so this new concept vacuum cleaner by designer Hyun-Seok Kim is perfect for my home. I really wish it were a real product.

The design is called the Puppy Robotic Vacuum because the four little robot vacuums that scamper around the home sucking up dirt look like little puppies. They even have digital faces on them. The only downside I see to the design of the puppy vacuums is that they are very small and can’t hold that much dirt.

The large brown part you see is the momma dog. She has power teats that the puppies belly up to for a recharge. The momma vacuum will also suck all the dirt out of the puppies for you to dump all of them at once. The puppies will even follow a remote and will sing sometimes too.

[via Yanko Design]

Roomba Vacuum Controlled By Microsoft Kinect

Shane McGlaun — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:48:40 +0000

We can all agree that vacuuming sucks. It’s no fun to push that thing around the house sucking up all the debris and dirt that you and your family schleps inside. I have always thought that the inventor the Roomba should have been nominated for a Nobel Prize of some sort. After all, with that little bot we can brush all the crumbs on the floor and not worry about having to clean them up later, the robot will do it for you.

Now, a geek in Japan has taken his Roomba and cobbled it and the Microsoft Kinect together in a mash up that allows him to control the Roomba using gestures sensed by the Kinect. The controls allow the guy to pretend to be pushing a vacuum back and forth and the Roomba moves forward when he does and backwards with him.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

It also supports other gestures as you can see in the video above. The downside I see is that the point of the Roomba is to not have to push the thing. Still, it’s a pretty cool hack and making a game out of this might actually get my kids to clean up after themselves.

[via NYT]

The Greatest Dog-Shaped Vacuum Cleaner Ever

Technabob — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 23:21:19 +0000

The guys over at Futility Closet dug up this awesome retro invention which I only wish they had actually made.

Patented by Ann Margaret Zaleski way back in 1973, this dog-shaped vacuum was supposed to help your scaredy pup cope with the stress of you vacuuming up their hair when being groomed by hiding a Suck-o-Lux inside a doggie doppelganger. Yep. Brilliant. Of course, most dogs would look at this thing and cower in the corner, bark at the thing, or immediately start humping it. Maybe that’s why it never made it to market. Or maybe it was just ahead of its time, and we’ll be able to buy one in 2011.

According to its inventor, “It will be readily obvious that other shapes of dogs, not shown, may be used instead, preferably one to correspond to the particular type dog to be groomed so that he will feel more friendly toward it. Of course, cats or other pets may be similarly simulated in the toy animal configuration. Thus it will be seen that I have provided a novel combination and arrangement of a toy animal, such as a dog, and vacuum cleaner and blower for completely concealing and muffling the noises of a vacuum cleaner and blower within the confines of the body of a toy animal.”

Damn, and I was going to patent a cat-shaped vacuum and an iguana-shaped one too. Stupid patent trolls. I swear.

[via Nag on the Lake]

Spider-Man or Vacuum-Boy?

Technabob — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 03:20:02 +0000

A boy from Cambridge, England has managed to figure out a way to climb a brick wall with not much more than a couple of vacuum cleaners.

Using a pair of 1,400-watt vacuums he purchased at UK retailer Tesco, Hibiki Kono hooked them up to a couple of large suction pads, and proceeded to ascend a vertical surface with the contraption strapped to his back and arms.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

As you can see from the video clip, Hibiki didn’t get too far up the wall, but we’re sure with a little persistence, he could climb anything he set his mind to – assuming there’s a long-enough power cord.

[via The Sun via PopSci]

Mint Floor Cleaner: Square and Simple

Lambert Varias — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:57:30 +0000

The Mint cleaner is designed to be used with reusable microfiber cloths or, if you want to waste money, Swiffer cleaning cloths. Unlike the Roomba, the Mint can only clean hard floors. I’m not sure if it can dock and recharge itself; the official website mentions no such feature. But it is nice to look at. And it’s square instead of round.

The Mint is guided by a NorthStar navigation system, although I’m not sure if it makes a map of the area prior to cleaning or if it makes one as it goes along.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The Mint’s retail price is $250 (USD). You can reserve a unit at the official website; you’ll pay a non-refundable deposit of $20 and will be notified when the product is available. Not to sound like a Roomba fanboy – I don’t even own one, and have no plans of owning one – but the cheapest Roomba is only $160. It’s not square though.

[via CrunchGear]

R2-D2 USB Vacuum Cleans Up the Dark Side of Your Desktop

Technabob — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 02:26:59 +0000

This R2-D2 vacuum cleaner from Taito is perfect for picking up those bits of orange Cheeto dust you left all over your desktop.

The tiny handheld Artoo gets his power from your computer’s USB port and probably provides just enough suction to clean up equally tiny bits of dirt and debris. Speaking of USB power, I wonder if the universe would implode if you plugged R2 into one of these.

Still, it’ll look really cool sitting in your cubicle. You can pre-order one over at NCSX now for $20.90 (USD). Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until August to receive yours unless you can work up some Jedi mind tricks on the NCSX folks to convince them to ship one out earlier.

Desktop Zamboni Vacuum Sweeps Up, but Makes No Ice

Technabob — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:26:37 +0000

Do you like to eat in your cubicle, leaving crumbs all over the place? Here’s a fun way to keep things neat and tidy the next time you make a mess on your desk. This miniature Zamboni machine is actually a handheld vacuum cleaner.

While it won’t make you a tiny little ice skating rink for your Dorothy Hamill action figure, this little Zamboni vacuum cleaner should do away with any loose detritus you leave sitting around after you chaw on your croissants.

So far there’s no word on when and where you’ll be able to get one of these, but in the mean time you can bookmark the product page over at UrbanTrend and wait it out. Are you really in a hurry for one of these, anyway? Really?

[via Nerd Approved]

Pac-Man Roomba Eats All Your Dirt Pellets

Alisha K. — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:03:15 +0000

As devices go, the Roomba is pretty cool on its own. It’s a useful machine and a fun toy all in one, so dressing it up can seem a little gratuitous. But if you turn your Roomba into Pac-Man… well, that’s just awesome. Especially if you use hilarious and appropriate sound effects.

With cleverly placed and wired yellow LEDs, a little white Roomba become a flashing, shining Pac-Man, who also apparently promises better cleaning time. The mod means he powers up when he eats carpet grime, I guess. Definitely on the list of most random (and amusing) mods ever.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Cheeseburger Vacuum Contains Meat, Lettuce, Tomato, Onions, Dust and Crumbs

Technabob — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 22:08:33 +0000

Here I was thinking that was the only cheeseburger-shaped household appliance was the telephone from Juno. I guess I was wrong.

Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce, dirty desktops do upset us! Now you can keep your workspace neat and tidy with this mini cheeseburger vacuum, perfect for picking up dust, dirt and crumbs from all those Fruit Loops you’ve been munching out of the box. And that silver stuff left over from scratching those lottery tickets.

Just don’t try to take a bite out of the burger-vac when you’re hungry. I know you want to, but don’t. I already tried, and it’ll only break your teeth.

Available from FredFlare for $20 (USD).

Zero Gravity R/C Cars Will have You Climbing the Walls

Technabob — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:30:39 +0000

Remote controlled race cars are pretty much a dime-a-dozen these days, so I’m always happy to come across one that’s a little left of center.

Contrary to its name, the Air Hog Zero Gravity Micro R/C car does not defy gravity. However, the car does turn the world on its side by driving not only on floors, but on your walls too. Just flip the switch, place the car on the wall, and you can drive up, down, left and right all without falling off. You can even drive on the underside of a table if the surface is smooth enough.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

So how does this little car work it’s magic? The vehicles contain a special system that works like a mini vacuum cleaner. A powerful fan creates suction to hold the car to the wall, and a special skirt around the perimeter of the car keeps the vacuum seal.

The cars come in a variety of colors and measure about 4.75″ long. They run on rechargeable batteries and should run for about 10 minutes on a single charge. Keep in mind that the remote control is infrared, so it will only work when you have line-of-sight access to the car.

You can get your grubby little mitts from UK gadget retailer Firebox for £29.95, or in the US from Amazon for about $47 USD.

Electronic Dust Bin Makes Dustpans Obsolete

Technabob — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 17:41:18 +0000

If you’re like me and live in a house with hardwood floors, keeping the place dust and dirt free can be a pain in the butt. That’s why I’m excited by this seemingly boring “why didn’t I think of that” invention.

The $59 Westinghouse SweepEZE is an automated dust bin. Just place it against a wall or in a corner, then sweep whatever junk you have on your (uncarpeted) floor in front of it, and it’ll suck it in and dispose of it automatically.

An infrared beam activates a vacuum that takes care of all the dirty work. And it’s able to pull in all sorts of things, ranging from pet hair to broken glass, thanks to its strong 600-watt suction engine. Bye, bye Swiffers!

Order the Westinghouse SweepEZE From Amazon

[via GadgetGrid]