Sunday, October 02, 2011

Description
Bobsweep has a circular shape with a diameter of 35cm diameter and a height of 11.5 cm. It has a frontal shock-absorbing bumper, two rubberized side wheels and a 360 degree rotating front wheel that help it change direction. Bobsweep has a bag-less dustbin that is located in its back. Bobsweep’s dustbin capacity is 1000 CC which is significantly higher than the dustbin capacity in most robotic vacuum cleaners. There is a digital screen on top of the robot that displays status information such as cleaning mode, battery life, speed, UV light status, cleaning time, error messages, etc.
Bobsweep uses a 14.4V lithium-ion rechargeable battery that takes about 4 hours for a full charge. Bobsweep is RoHS certified and thus free of lead and other hazardous material.
Operation
Sweeping and vacuuming
Bobsweep can operate autonomously or be guided manually using the infrared remote control. It has a side brush to reach corners and a rotating, central brush to sweep the floor; the swept particles are sucked into the dustbin using the vacuuming function. Bobsweep uses a 3-layer HEPA filtration system to stop the sub-micron particles from escaping back into the air after being sucked in.
Mopping
Using the mopping function is optional. The user can install the mopping extension if desired in which case Bobsweep mops and vacuums simultaneously. The mopping microfiber cloth can be removed and washed when needed.
Room and floor type
Bobsweep can be used in rooms of any size or multiple rooms. However, in one full battery charge it only covers 1000sq feet efficiently. Bobsweep can work on different floor types; it has a surface detection sensor and can adjust its speed automatically depending on the type of surface it is on (for example it moves more slowly on carpet than on tile); the user can also adjust its speed (with the remote control or by pushing the button the robot). Bobsweep’s wheels can rise up to 1.8 centimeters which enable it to climb rugs and room dividers.
Obstacle Detection
To detect obstacles, Bobsweep relies on infrared and touch sensors. It avoids the obstacles detected by infrared and thus bumps into objects less frequently than robotic vacuum cleaners that don’t detect obstacles unless they bump into it. To change direction, Bobsweep has a 360 degree rotating front wheel that acts like a steering-wheel while the two side wheels push Bobsweep forward or backward.