Samsung NaviBot SR8845 / SR8855 vacuum cleaner hands-on
By Richard Lai 
posted March 9th 2010 6:47PM
posted March 9th 2010 6:47PM
It didn't take long for these NaviBots to win our hearts -- we only spent about five intimate minutes watching them vacuuming the floor at Samsung's UK product launch event, but frankly, we fell hard upon first sight. On the left we have the SR8845 basic model going for £399 ($599), and the SR8855 at the rear is priced higher at £449 ($674) with its touch-sensitive buttons (instead of physical ones), on-board scheduler (instead of a countdown timer) and a pair of Virtual Guards -- boxes that create an infrared virtual fence to create a priority cleaning zone or to block the NaviBots -- instead of one. That said, both bots have the same vacuum performance, have visionary mapping, run for 90 minutes on a two-hour charge, and have anti-fall / anti-collision technology to boot. Say whatever you want about the prices and feel free to doubt the bots' sucking abilities, but hopefully the video after the break will at least leave you with a smile. Both will be in British shops at the end of April.
Looks exactly like a roomba.
@Wes Steele
Similar problems breed similar solutions.
@Wes Steele : I like the Neato better. It vacuums more efficiently and doesn't need to bump into objects, apparently.
@Wes Steele
Except its way smarter, even than the Neato.
Take a look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq5HZzGF3vQ
@EDay
If you look at the video closer, it never touches the walls. Its so much more intelligent than you really think.
seems to make alot of noise
I still want one...
@Seb6554 it's a vacuum cleaner. O_o you... do know the noise level vacuum cleaners make, don't you?
@buoy
Of course, I was just pointing it out
I'll stick with my army of Roombas.
@parabola : I like my Roomba, but it's battery is fickle. It is so easy to kill the battery and make it not hold a charge anymore. Plus after reading about the Neato VX-11, if I buy another robotic vacuum, it will be that one.
At first I thought they were Navi Bots, as in Avatar.
Also how do they compare in performance to Roombas?
@Spiraling Shape My thoughts exactly. What will make me run out and pay hundreds more on one of these guys vs. the Roomba?
@spacydog
Can your roomba do this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq5HZzGF3vQ
It even recharges, goes back to where it left off, and continues on itself.
I love how in the commercials for these types of things, they will put dry cereal and small bolts on the floor.
People drop more that dry cereal and metal bolts! Let alone on a flat hardwood floor with no furniture!
hmm the dual brushes are cool, but I still think Neato's Robot Vacuum will do far better.
I hate having lighthouses for my Roomba.. Neato's doesn't need this and it vacuums the room far more efficiently. Neato's also detects doors without the need for a lighthouse...
I guess you can tell what I'm holding out for.
@djsiek : Same here. I like my Roomba, but the battery is easy to render useless if it is off its charger for a certain length of time. My wife accidentally unplugged the charging base once, and I didn't notice after a week or two, and after that the battery couldn't run the Roomba for more than 10 minutes.
I like what I have read about the Neato and it's laser guidance ad room scanning, and it's efficient vacuuming pattern, it will be the next robotic vacuum I get, if I buy another one.
Wonder how long it'll take Dyson to come out with a monstrosity to rival these.
@psiberman
at least it will have the proper amount of suction.
@psiberman
Dyson had one in testing, but it's apparently been shelved
@psiberman They did, but it never came to market - it was the Dyson DC06 and it was a huge ugly thing (as expected) but for its time it was supposedly quite advanced. It probably cost far and beyond what any sane person would pay (although that never stopped Electrolux with their Trilobite vac)...
by far better than roombas, roombas are the dumbest robots i ever seen, finally someone made a smart one
I have had a roomba for over an year but I have stopped using it since I realized that it takes longer to clean it up and empty it after every use than it takes me to use a normal vacuum cleaner (which btw does a better job too).
Unless these vacuuming bots learn not to need human time for 5or 6 cleaning sessions at least and to host a normal sized vacuuming bag I see no point in using them.
@Plexus Mine does take longer, but it does far better on the pet hair than my regular vacuum does, and I don't have to be the one to do it. I'm fine with it taking 20 minutes where I'd take 5 if I don't have to be there while it does it.
what's hot DJ Roomba?!
@DDRobert
dang it you beat me to the dj roomba comment.
Aren't the Roomba's alot cheaper than that?
@Nitesh
Yup, these are MASSIVELY overpriced. Wait a year until they come down to something sensible.
You guys sure have a lot of decent Samsung news today.
I don't mind, it seems they are stepping up their game a little bit.
Nice nice!! but for that price I'd rather get me a dyson thank you very much!!
I was looking into those roombas and now i really want one lol. Didnt really know about them. All you roomba users out there, if I were to get one, which model do you think i should get? I live in a 2 bedroom apartment where the roomba will probably only vacuum living room, hallway, kitchen, and bathroom (our rooms are too messy and unused for it to tackle lol).
The bottoms look virtually identical to Roobas', which is disappointing, since it means that they will be exactly similarly be susceptible to the same fatal flaws of Roombas; namely, the inability to keep my golden retrievers' hair out of the axels, and other places where they love to wind around. The result is 15 minutes cleaning the robot each time the unit is used, which pretty much defeats the purpose of them.
I can't believe Samsung couldn't improve on that over the Roombas. These are so similar, I am anticipating a lawsuit by iRobot. Even the colors! Sheesh! Maybe they licensed the design?
My Roomba is behind the times vs. these Navi bots. IRobot better create something innovative or they'll feel the pinch very soon.
I found it a sober experience reading an article and its replies to a Samsung product w/o model shots... =_=
Roomba, you have nothing to worry about (for now)
I am glad they are making stuff like this but I do not think the technology is quite there yet. For that price I will pay someone to vacuum for me. I guess this thing does not steal your stuff though, or does it O_o
@SlickVic
Take a look at this and tell me what you think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq5HZzGF3vQ
I wish I could afford this
My cat would love it!!
not too shabby.
don't like how those brushes fling the dirt from one place to the next. must b a better way...
and how is the suction on these vacbots when cleaning a carpet?
I want one.
Help the terminator is after my leg!
well *kick* take that *smashes in to wall* you crazy android leg bumper!