WIRED Staff
Science

Slideshow: Robot Vacs Are in the House

New models of robot vacuum cleaners are sure signs that the household robot field is finally taking off. The industry is confident that in just 20 years, chores will be a thing of the past. By Leander Kahney.
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Dale Heatherington's Suckmaster II Robot Vacuum was designed to compete in the annual AHRC Robot Rally Vacuum contest.Dale Heatherington

See related story: Robot Vacs Are in the House

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Available in Europe for about 1,100 euros, or $1,300, the Kärcher RoboCleaner is approximately 11 inches in diameter and about 4 inches tall.

Kärcher
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The $1,700 Trilobite creates an internal map of the room as it cleans, and automatically recharges when it runs out of juice. It navigates by ultrasound, but needs magnetic strips to tell it about doorways and stairs.

Electrolux
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Currently in home trials, Dyson's DCO6 robotic vacuum cleaner is designed to clean efficiently and without needing to be programmed.

Dyson
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Hitachi's robot vacuum is a domestic drudge with a twist -- it doubles as a digital watchdog.

Hitachi