ROBOTIC vacuum cleaners, generally, are not news. Electronics companies such as iRobot, LG and Neato Robotics already make their own versions. Yet even the best on the market offer enormous scope for improvement—and the worst little in the way of suction power. Last September Consumer Reports, an American magazine, even warned purchasers to think twice about buying one. But on September 4th, Dyson, a company famous for its bagless vacuum cleaners, announced in Tokyo that it was launching its first robotic model, the Dyson 360 Eye. It will be available in Japan from early next year.[eap_ad_2]
Dyson has so far remained firmly out of the robotic market, despite 16 years of research in the area. It came close to launching a robotic vacuum cleaner in 2001, but the company pulled the device from production at the last moment. James Dyson, the firm’s founder, decided the model was too expensive and heavy to be of interest to most consumers. But since then the company has improved the power output of its robotic cleaner and has reduced the size of its motors and other components. The firm has also managed to marry new technology with academic expertise, by working with researchers at Imperial College London. The final result is a cleaner that Dyson says has more suction power than any other robotic vacuum on the market. (The Economist)[eap_ad_3]
