Chinese consumer electronics startup Xiaomi just announced its latest foray into the smart home market, a Roomba competitor named the Mi Robot Vacuum.
Xiaomi first ventured into smart home products in 2014. Some of Xiaomi’s smart home products include: rice cookers, fitness trackers, water purifiers, and their own line of smart switches and sensors.
According to the manufacturer’s specifications, the Mi Robot Vacuum is equipped with 12 sensors in total. A laser distancing sensor sits atop the circular robot, scanning 360 degrees at 1,800 times per second. Other sensors include a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and ultrasonic sensors. It adjusts its height from the floor to create a seal between the vacuum and the floor. Using these sensors, the Mi Robot Vacuum is reportedly able to hug the walls as it vacuums, maintaining a mere 10mm (0.39 inches) of space between itself and the wall.
The included 14.4V lithium ion battery has a capacity of 5200 mAh, and is said to last approximately 2.5 hours on one charge. If the specifications are to be believed, the battery translates to about 2700 sq. feet of clean floors on each charge.
The Mi Robot Vacuum is also Wi-Fi and app connected. This is not surprising, since Xiaomi’s suite of smartphone apps control everything from rice cookers to air purifiers.
Priced at RMB $1699 ($255 USD), it costs a fraction of iRobot’s robotic vacuums, which range from USD $350 to 900. How it performs in the real world, though, is yet to be seen.
It is slated to go on sale on September 9 in China.