iRobot updates Roomba and Scooba at CES 2011

iRobot kicked off its presence at CES by unveiling two long due updates for its home cleaning robots. The Roomba 700 provides better cleaning of finer dirt and hair; it accordingly has twin HEPA filters to cut back on allergic reactions. The robot is also now smart enough to move back and forth in a particularly dirty area to clean where a single pass wouldn't have worked.

Other changes bring a 50 percent longer battery life and a polymer-coated bumper that prevents marks on furniture or walls. The Roomba 760 serves as the base model, but extra features are also added solely for the 770 and 780. Both higher end models have acoustic and optical sensors that can detect both small but hard litter as well as large but relatively soft items. They will likewise detect when their dustbins are full, and the 780 swaps traditional hard buttons for a touch-sensitive pad.

For those with hardwood or other carpetless floors, the Scooba 230 is just as tall as its predecessor at 3.5 inches but, at 6.5 inches across, has half the diameter and thus fits much more effectively into corners and tight spaces. It continues to support relatively basic features but can still work around virtual fences and has a cliff sensor to avoid stairs or other sharp drops. The device can cover about 150 square feet in a single stretch and keeps using clean water, vinegar mix or custom solution through the entire session.

Both the Roomba and Scooba robot updates are due to ship in spring and will get pricing closer to the actual ship date.

By Electronista Staff