mopping
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This cleaning robot can clean its own mop and dodge dog poo
A quick search on Google will show that robot cleaners and dog poo don't go well together, yet none of the big players out there have offered a solution (Sony's Aibo doesn't count). Another pain point that has put me off from acquiring a mopping robot is the fact that the mop -- often a piece of detachable fabric -- requires manual cleaning, which is rather awkward even if there's no faecal smearing. To my surprise, it was a Chinese startup at TechCrunch Shenzhen that seems to have it all figured out. Veniibot, a Chengdu-based team of over 20 employees, unveiled its Venii N1 mopping and sweeping hybrid robot at the TechCrunch event earlier this week. While you may not have heard of this startup before, its talents were hired from the likes of ZTE, Baidu, Motorola, Foxconn, Ecovacs and more. For those who are wondering, the N1 has over 100 patents in total.
iRobot Scooba 390 hands-on -- now with 30 degrees more circle (video)
Last week's trip to iRobot's headquarters in Bedford, Massachusetts wasn't just about tossing battlefield 'bots about. We also had the opportunity to check out some of the company's more domestic offerings. The Scooba 390 is the latest addition to the iRobot's line of floor cleaners. The mopping 'bot offers a couple of enhancements to its older sibling -- rather than considering it a full refresh, the company's referring to it as an "update to respond to customer feedback." The biggest difference here is improved battery life -- a welcome change in any device. According to iRobot, the 390 should provide users with around 30 percent more battery life than its predecessor, covering up to 450 square feet per cleaning session.
