CleaningBot
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Readybot cleans a living room, our hearts continue to flutter
We were already ga-ga over the hobbyist-built ReadyBot cleaning bot when it was scrubbing down a kitchen, but this latest video of the all-white droid picking up a living room cluttered with kid's toys has us solidly past crush and into dangerous obsession territory. Of particular note is that ReadyBot's brought a friend along for the ride -- it deploys a Roomba to vacuum the carpets while it works on the big stuff. Says lead dev Tom Benson, "Why should we re-invent something that already works great?" Good thinking -- an even better idea would be to send one of these things to Engadget HQ immediately. Video after the break.
Readybot cleans your kitchen, might be single best thing ever invented
We want one. Scratch that: We need one. Check out this ridiculously awesome kitchen-cleaning robot called the Readybot -- if this is what the future of robot enslavement looks like, sign us up. The creators, part of a homebrew group called the Readybot Robot Challenge, are dedicated to finding a breakthrough application for consumer robotics, and team leader Tom Benson says the answer is simple: "We think people want a robot that can clean the kitchen." Uh, yeah. The dishwasher sized Readybot prototype can currently do a little less than half of your common kitchen chores, but Benson says it'll eventually get to 80 percent -- which is about 100 percent more than we're currently doing. Fall in love with the video after the break.
Microrobot's UBOT cleaning robot
Korean manufacturer Microrobot's UBOT cleaning robot seems to have its sights set clearly on the ever-growing Roomba army (and from the looks of it, may have already eaten one). Unlike the Roomba, however, the UBOT is only intended for use on hard floors, with a 60W vacuum to suck up the dirt, although it lacks the Scooba's squeegee-action, instead using an advanced cloth-dispensing system to pick up what the vacuum misses (kinda like a RoboSwiffer). Still, it should be able to find its way around your place on its own and avoid any obstacles, even if it might not fit under much of your furniture. A higher-end model is also available that features what Microrobot calls a "2D barcode navigation system," which promises to clean rooms more efficiently -- how, exactly, we're not sure. The UBOT does look to have the Roomba beat in one important area though, featuring a voice guide to inform you of its conditions in a "soft and calm tone." Sound familiar?[Via AVING.net]
