After 16 years and $46 million in research, Dyson‘s first robot vacuum, the Dyson 360 Eye, is going on sale Oct. 23 in Japan for a whopping $1,150 ( ¥138,000), with the rest of the world to follow.
Dyson’s 360 Eye robot vacuum enters a crowded market that already boasts numerous models from iRobot, LG, Neato, Samsung and others. So, what will set the Dyson 360 Eye apart from the competition?
First, it boasts a 360-degree panoramic camera with eight infrared sensors that take up to 30 images per second of the room it’s cleaning in order to continually relay where it is, where it has been and where it needs to go.
And Dyson has a smartphone and tablet app, called Dyson Link App, that allows owners to remotely control the robotic vacuum cleaner and start cleaning while they’re away from the house.
The Dyson 360 Eye sports two different sets of cleaning brushes:
- Carbon-fiber brushes capable of picking up dirt at the micron level for hard surfaces
- Nylon bristles for carpets. It navigates around on mini-tank treads to help move it around or up and over obstacles.
Borrowing from other Dyson vacuum technology, the 360 Eye features a digital V2 motor that spins at 78,000RPM generating the highest suction of any robot vacuum.
Additionally, Dyson claims that machine’s Radial Root Cyclone technology pulls microscopic dust and allergens out of the air and into its dust collector.
The 360 Eye automatically self-docks and recharges when its battery runs low. The lithium-ion battery is good for 20-30 minutes of run time. The Dyson 360 Eye robot vacuum weighs 5.22 pounds and has a capacity of 0.4 liters of dirt and dust.
Dyson 360 Eye Specs
Weight: 5.2lbs
Size: 9″ diameter, 8.2″ height
Width of cleaning path: 8.3inches
Motor wattage: 100W
Volume of dust bin: 0.4 liters
Battery life: 20 to 30 minutes without fading – it then returns to its docking station to charge
Cost: ¥138,000 ($1,150 or £750
“Most robotic vacuum cleaners don’t see their environment, have little suction, and don’t clean properly. They are gimmicks,” says Sir James Dyson. “‘We’ve been developing a unique 360 degree vision system that lets our robot see where it is, where it has been, and where it is yet to clean.
“Vision, combined with our high speed digital motor and cyclone technology, is the key to achieving a high performing robot vacuum – a genuine labour saving device.”
The 360 Eye is Dyson’s second attempt at a robotic cleaner. In 2001, the firm was close to launching the DC06 – a large robotic machine which relied on dozens of infrared sensors all around the body. But it abandoned the project and went back to the drawing board.
