Cleaning technology has revolutionized house-keeping, sanitation, and hygiene. The advent of the vacuum cleaner not only made cleaning easy, but it also used the vacuum created by an air pump to provide superior cleaning as compared to regular manual mopping or sweeping. With the popularization of internet technology, and evolution of artificial intelligence, a new generation of vacuum cleaners emerged, autonomous vacuum cleaners that used built-in artificial intelligence to run the program that directed the cleaner on where, how, and what to clean. The autonomous vacuum cleaner is nowadays known as a Robotic (a word derived from ROBOt VACuum cleaner).
There are different models and brands of robotics in the market today; and they differ regarding cleaning technology, design quality, use of wireless technology, and cleaning experience. We cannot analyze all these models, but have instead chosen to focus on 2 of the most popular high-end models; Neato Robotics Botvac, and iRobot Roomba-980. The focus of this piece is to find out which is better between Neato Connected and Roomba 980. For this reason, we need to compare Neato and Roomba.
Even so, before the Neato vacuum vs. Roomba comparison is made, key features of each Robotic model need to be described.
- What are the Key Features of Neato Robotics Botvac?
Neato Robotics Botvac is a wi-fi enabled robotic that uses laser technology to navigate around the room and then using the data collected by this laser smart navigation to create a map of the room so that it can identify where obstacles are located, as well as determine the best cleaning course to take so that the entire room is cleaned. This laser smart mapping also allows the robotic to complete the cleaning in the shortest time possible, hence saving on battery power.
It weighs about 3.7 kilograms and is 33.5cm long, 32.1cm wide, and 10cm tall. The maximum power needed to run this cordless and bag-less robotic is 40watts. It’s cleaning capacity is 0.7 liters. During cleaning, it emits some noise whose level is about 69 decibels.
The use of Wi-Fi technology allows this robotic to be controlled through an Internet-connected mobile application (or program) called Neato app. This app allows you to start, pause or stop the robotic from the comfort of your seat, as well as schedule cleaning times. Also, this app allows you to receive real-time notifications on the state of your robotic. Moreover, because of wi-fi technology, this model is a cordless robotic.
This model comes with an extra-large bugless dustbin where the sucked dirt is deposited. Regarding cleaning, it uses spin-flow power clean technology which integrates a vacuum-creating air pump with precision brushes. Because this dustbin is integrated into the build of this model, it does not need an external bag, hence the designation bag-less robotic.
Neato Robotics Botvac can be operated in either of 2 modes; the Eco mode, and the Turbo mode. The Eco mode sets the robotic to provide a long, yet quiet and energy-saving clean. Meanwhile, the Turbo mode sets it to provide quick super-powered cleaning that allows for maximum picking up of hair off the surface.
- What are the Key Features of iRobot Roomba-980?
The iRobot Roomba-980 is an Internet-enabled, wi-fi connected robotic that can work with Amazon Alexa technology to clean the room. Amazon Alexa is a voice-activated technology that allows you to issue voice commands to your robotic so that it can know where to clean and the degree of cleaning performance required. It also allows you to schedule cleaning times just by issuing verbal commands. Likewise, Google-built voice-activated technology can also be synchronized to work with iRobot Roomba-980.
It weighs about 3.9 kilograms and has a diameter of 35.3cm and a height of 9.1cm. This cordless and bag-less robotic runs on four rechargeable lithium-ion size AA batteries. It can clean continuously for 120 minutes, and automatically seek its
charging portal where it autonomously connects to so that it recharges before resuming to clean the floor. This autonomy allows you to schedule it to clean a multi-room house without needing further intervention. This is because it can clean as many rooms as possible in 2 hours, then recharge itself before resuming to clean other rooms till the entire house is cleaned.
This model uses iAdapt 2.0 Navigation technology whose Visual Localization capability allows it to navigate around the room, and collect requisite data that is used to create a map of the room so that it can identify where obstacles are located, as well as determine the best cleaning course. This also enables it to save battery power.
As a WiFi-connected robotic, it can be controlled using a customized Internet-connected enhanced mobile software called iRobot HOME app, which can be synchronized to either Amazon Alexa or Google-based voice-activated command apps. This app allows you to start, pause or stop the robotic from the comfort of your seat, as well as schedule cleaning times. Also, this app allows you to view the map of the room as well as receive real-time notifications on the state of your robotic. Because of this wi-fi technology, this model does not need an electric cord; hence it is a cordless robotic.
It comes with a built-in dust bin, and it uses it uses AeroForce cleaning system which integrates a vacuum-creating air pump with tangle-free brushes. The inbuilt AI program supports its proprietary 3-stage cleaning scheme.
- How do these Two Robotic Models Compare?
The above description of the key features of the two robotic models lays a firm basis for comparison. On their own, the key features hint at the following salient similarities.
First of all, both are Internet-enabled and WiFi-connected robotics. Secondly, both are cordless, bag-less robotic models. Thirdly, both electrically-powered models run on rechargeable batteries with their built-in navigation systems and map-building apps serving to chart the most energy-saving cleaning course that allows both models to clean efficiently while saving their battery charge.
These are not the only similarities, and there are also differences that need to be described. This can be achieved if the comparison focuses on three main areas; design model, cleaning performance, and which Robotic technology each model uses.
- 1. Neato connected vs. roomba 980 design model
Neato Robotics Botvac is a compactly-designed D-shaped robotic. This D-shape allows it to clean floor-to-wall edges because its straight side can reach the wall and clean the entire floor region abutting the wall. Meanwhile, the curved side of the can clean around curved floor edges. This internet-connected robotic is wi-fi enabled so it can be remotely controlled from outside the room.
On the other hand, iRobot Roomba-980 is a compactly-built robotic that has a circular design. This circular shape allows it to clean floors effectively, but it also presents challenges when cleaning the floor section abutting walls.
Therefore, when compared to Neato Robotics Botvac, iRobot Roomba-980 offers superior floor cleaning but performs poorly is cleaning floor-to-wall edges.
- 2. iRobot roomba vs neato Robotic technology.
The robotic technology used by Neato Robotics Botvac is the spin-flow power clean technology which uses precision brushes to sweep across the room, and in the process rub away sticky dirt off the floor so that it can be sucked alongside other particulate dirt matter into the dustbin. The sucking power is provided by an integrated high-grade, compactly-designed air pump.
For iRobot Roomba-980, it uses an AeroForce cleaning system which uses precision tangle-free brushes to provide a superior sweep across the room than Neato Robotics Botvac. The dirt that is rubbed off the floor is sucked alongside other particulate dirt matter into the dustbin, with this cleaning phase being powered by the built-in high-performance, compactly-designed air pump. For efficient carpet cleaning, its patented 3-stage cleaning scheme needs to be activated, and once running, it generates as much as ten times the vacuum-sucking power as compared to regular cleaning, while minimizing the aggressive rubbing of the brushes on the carpet surface. This high sucking power allows this robotic to suck as much pet hair as possible.
From those above, it is clear that the AeroForce cleaning system of iRobot Roomba-980 offers a superior cleaning experience as compared to the one provided by the spin-flow power clean technology of Neato Robotics Botvac.
- 3.Neato Robotics vs. Roomba cleaning performance
The iRobot Roomba-980 provides a superior cleaning performance as compared to Neato Robotics Botvac, with the only exception being cleaning the floor surface abutting walls where Neato Robotics offers better cleaning than Roomba.
- Conclusion
The comparison of Neato Robotics Botvac and iRobot Roomba-980 shows that both share some similarities, most importantly being that both are Internet-enabled, WiFi-connected models that use mobile apps to manage cleaning as well as chart maps for cleaning course. However, they differ in their cleaning capabilities with iRobot Roomba-980 providing better cleaning performance than Neato Robotics Botvac, except for cleaning floor areas abutting walls where Neato offers better cleaning. Even so, their price varies as Neato Robotics Botvac retails for about 620 British pounds, while iRobot Roomba-980 retails for about 850British pounds, which makes the iRobot Roomba-980 considerably more expensive than Neato Robotics Botvac. Still, regarding ease-of-use, overall cleaning performance, and size of the floor that can be cleaned, it is clear iRobot Roomba-980 is the better of the two robotic models.
