Summary/Reader Response Draft 3

 The Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 is an autonomous floor-cleaning robot, designed to vacuum and mop (Eren & Doğan, 2022). Our research focused primarily on evaluating its cleaning ability, specifically its cleaning strength and its effectiveness in cleaning hard-to-clean areas. The cleaning strength is determined by three features: the suction mechanism, which creates a vacuum to attract dirt to its dustbin (Asafa et.al, 2018); the pressurised mop, which uses pressure to mop the floor with a cloth eliminating water stains, and the fibre brush which sweeps up dust (Mi, n.d.). The effectiveness of its ability to clean hard-to-clean parts is then determined by the side brushes and its manoeuvrability. The side brush kicks up dirt to direct it into the vacuum area and is evaluated on how well it cleans along edges and tight spaces (Layton, n.d.), while its manoeuvrability is more complex, being assessed by multiple aspects. In a domestic household, robots need to manoeuvre under tables and in confined spaces(Lee, n.d.), thus requiring smaller size, and since there are often low-profile obstacles such as extension cords and rugs, the robot also needs to be able to cross over obstacles(Jenkins, n.d.) Based upon these criteria, the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 shows strong cleaning ability but still has some room for improvement in terms of the battery life.

 

The Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 uses a Japanese NIDEC brushless motor (Mi, n.d.) which has a suction power of 2700Pa. The NIDEC brushless motor uses a sensor and an electronic circuit for current switching which features include compact size, high output, long life, and no generation of sparks and noise, and it is used in a wide range of applications from PCs to home appliances (N, n.d.). The Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 also provides a consistently powerful suction fan blower to effectively remove dirt and debris in an instant. From tiny dust and hair to large crumbs and debris, the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 cleans them all up instantly. The suction mode has 4 speed suction mode with a high capacity dustbin of 550ml(Mi, n.d.).  

 

The Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 has upgraded pressurised mopping to help remove stains (Mi, n.d.). A pressurising mop mimics the movements of a human cleaner. There are some situations where a spill or stain requires a little bit of elbow grease (M. 2023). With a traditional mop, the human doing the cleaning must apply pressure while scrubbing and moving the mop around the surface to successfully remove the stain (M. 2023). The newly upgraded pressurised mopping function copies the pressure that a human cleaner would apply on a standard mop to scrub out any dried stains, providing more efficient cleaning, to eliminate water stains, dust and more (M. 2023). It can clean an entire 150㎡* home in one pass equipped with a 250mL* smart electronically controlled water tank, the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 can mop a 150㎡ floor without refilling (Mi, n.d.).

 

The Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 has an all-new brush configuration for thorough cleaning even in corners and gaps (Nadie.n.d.).  The upgraded full-coverage hex side brushes and super-dense 0.1mm fibre main brush clean deeply into corners and clear away dust from gaps between floorboards (Nadie.n.d.).  The side brushes are located at the front/side of the robot and turn towards the suction mouth. When the robot vacuum cleaner runs along the skirting or cupboard, the side brushes take the dirt and take it to the suction mouth (Nadie.n.d.). Robot vacuum cleaners with long side brushes therefore generally clean better along the skirting or in the corners than robots without side brushes (Nadie.n.d.). 

 

However, one disadvantage of the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 is the battery life, it only has a battery capacity of 3200mAh, making the robot last for 110-minute battery life (Emptying. n.d.).  Products like the Roborock Q7 plus cleaner have a battery capacity of 5200mAh giving it 180 minutes run time (Emptying. n.d.). 

 

In conclusion, despite the battery life of the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 having a lower battery life, it has other elements such as the suction, upgraded pressurised mop as well as the side brush which are useful in a robot cleaner. Moreover, the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 also uses “Cortext™-A53 quad-core processor with VSLAM algorithm provides more powerful computing power for real-time accurate positioning and smart path computing” (Mi, n.d.).  This allows the robot to Accurately scan the entire house layout and plan the most efficient route. The newly upgraded high-speed visual navigation system enables accurate scanning of home environments while moving, and simultaneous creation of cleaning plans. It also has a customised smart interface, helping the cleaner to go where you tell it toAdvanced map management features have been upgraded to meet more personalised cleaning needs compared to previous generation, with new features such as automatic zoning and map editing.

 

References

Asafa, T.B., Afonja, T.M., Olaniyan, E.A., Alade, H.O. (2018). Development of a vacuum 

cleaner robot. Alexandria Engineering Journal, 57(4), 2911-2920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aej.2018.07.005 

 

Eren, A & Dogan, H (2022). Design and implementation of a cost effective vacuum cleaner robot. Turkish Journal of Engineering, 6(2), 166-177. Retrieved September 17, 2023, from

 https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/1411730

 

Jenkins, F (n.d.). Practical requirements for a Domestic Vacuum-Cleaning Robot. AAAI 

Technical Report. Retrieved September 17,2023, from

https://cdn.aaai.org/Symposia/Fall/1993/FS-93-03/FS93-03-016.pdf 

 

Layton, J (n.d.). How robotic vacuums work. How stuff work. Retrieved September 17, 2023,from

http://www.sci.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~mqazhar/teaching/bpc/notes/roomba-howstuffworks.pdf 

 

Lee. Robot Vacuum Side Brushes. Them Vacuums. Retrieved September 17, 2023, from 

https://themvacuums.com/robot-vacuum-side-brushes-know/ 

 

Mi. (n.d.). Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2. Retrieved September 17, 2023, from 

https://www.mi.com/global/product/mi-robot-vacuum-mop-2/ 

Corporation., N. (n.d.). Brushless Motors. NIDEC CORPORATION. https://www.nidec.com/en/technology/capability/brushless/ 

Robozone, M. (2023). Midea launches M9 robotic vacuum cleaner, a smart mop for stress-free floor cleaning across all surfaces. PR Newswire: news distribution, targeting and monitoring. https://www.prnewswire.com/ru/press-releases/midea-launches-m9-robotic-vacuum-cleaner-a-smart-mop-for-stress-free-floor-cleaning-across-all-surfaces-301782852.html#:~:text=Pressurized%20Mopping%20Mimics%20the%20Movements%20of%20a%20Human%20Cleaner&text=Combined%20with%20the%20M9’s%20three,back%20to%20its%20original%20texture. 

Nadie. (n.d.). Brush attachments for robot vacuums. Coolblue.

https://www.coolblue.nl/en/advice/robot-vacuum-brush-attachments.html

Roborock Q7 Series - Simple Cleaning. Simpler Emptying. (n.d.). Roborock Global. Retrieved October 8, 2023, from
https://global.roborock.com/pages/roborock-q7