Up close with Samsung's NaviBot: a robotic vacuum cleaner

A programmable timer is a handy addition; you can set the NaviBot to start cleaning when you want it to.
Cleaning at GoodGearGuide has been a breeze these past few days. No, we haven’t hired a janitor to keep the Test Centre clean — but [[xref: http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/tag/samsung|Samsung]] lent us theirs. Allow us introduce you to the Samsung NaviBot; a sophisticated [[xref: http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/tag/robots|robot]] [[artnid: 203477|vacuum cleaner]] sent back in time to [[xref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminator_2 |save John Connor from the T1000]]. Okay it wasn't really, but it will make cleaning around the home a little easier!

Fitted to the top of the Samsung NaviBot is a built-in [[artnid: http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/tag/digital%20cameras|digital camera]] that shoots at 30 frames per second creating a virtual map of the room that helps the vacuum cleaner cover areas that need cleaning.
The NaviBot has built-in memory, so it won’t clean the same spot over and over again. It also allows the device to memorise the best cleaning path.
Rotating brushes on either side of the Samsung NaviBot sweep dust, hair and other particles up into the dust chamber. A larger rotating sweeper blade located underneath the NaviBot combs the floor and also deposits fluff, pet hair and mess into the dust chamber, which has a capacity of 600ml.
Cleaning the NaviBot is a simple task. Pull the chamber out of the chassis and empty. Ta-da! The NaviBot is also fitted with cleanable HEPA filtration.
According to Samsung, the battery should last around 1.5 hours on hard flooring and takes roughly two hours to charge up. Carpet however, due to its greater mess retention, means the NaviBot will need to return to the charge base more frequently. When the NaviBot requires a recharge and is in the middle of cleaning a room, it will navigate back to the docking station, charge its battery then return to its last location and resume cleaning.
Several cleaning modes are available. When auto mode is selected the NaviBot will go about its business using the ‘visionary mapping system’ to make its way through a room, while the manual setting allows the user to control the NaviBot via a remote control. Other modes on offer are spot mode, max mode and edge mode, as well as the auto timer mode. The SR8845 NaviBot has an RRP of $799, while the top of the range SR8855 has an RRP of $999. The SR8855 includes two virtual guards, a daily schedule cleaning mode, extra brush accessories and a touchscreen control panel on the robot.

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