Dyson says its 360 Vis Nav has ‘twice the suction’ of any other robot vacuum | Engadget

Dyson’s first robot vacuum, the 360 Eye, was not a great success in the US as it was quickly pulled from the market shortly after it went on sale. Now, the UK company is trying again with the 360 Vis Nav robovac, which just launched in Australia and is expected to come to the US later this year. While it lacks features like self-emptying, Dyson is promising “twice the suction” of any other robot vacuum, a new vision/navigation system and more. 

The motor speed has increased from 78,000 RPM on the last model to 110,000, which supposedly delivers six times the suction of other robot vacuums. It also offers a “triple-action” brush bar that allows for optimal cleaning on different surfaces. Namely, it uses soft nylon for hard floors, anti-static carbon fiber filaments for fine dust, and stiff nylon bristles for carpet. 

The 360 Vis Nav has a top-mounted fish-eye lens and looks for recognizable landmarks to navigate its way around using SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) tech. It promises better low-light performance than the last model by using eight LEDs around the lens to better spot landmarks, particularly in dark locations like underneath your couch. It also uses 26 sensors to detect obstacles so it won’t get stuck in tight spots like under a chair. 

Perhaps the niftiest feature is an arm that pops out when the 360 Vis Nav is cleaning against a wall. It gets right to the edge and redirects suction, picking up dirt that eludes most robovacs and ensuring you don’t need to finish the job with a hand vacuum. 

With all that suction power comes a bit less battery life than other models, however. It can clean for 50 minutes before automatically going back to the dock to charge, but it does pick up right where it left off when charging finishes. You can schedule and monitor cleaning using Dyson’s app, and it will clean more efficiently over time as it creates dust maps of your home. 

There’s no word on pricing or US availability yet, but the 360 Vis Nav just launched in Australia for $AUD 2,399 (about $1,590), considerably more than the 360 Eye was at launch. 

Along with the 360 Vis Nav, Dyson launched the latest versions of its famous cordless vacuums, the Gen5detect and Gen5outsize. Using the fifth generation of Dyson’s Hyperdymium motors, they’re “smaller, faster and more powerful” than past models and even capable of “capturing viruses from your home,” Dyson promised. 

Meanwhile, the Dyson Submarine is the company’s first ever wet vacuum cleaner. It has a wet roller head that attaches to the new V15s Detect Submarine and V12s Slim submarine vacuums (but not any older models). It can not only remove dust and stains from hard floors, but even handle spills like ketchup. Finally, Dyson has introduced the Big+quiet Formaldehyde, a new air purifier designed for large homes. It can purify air over a 32 foot range, removing pollutants (including formaldehyde, of course), dust and more. Again, there’s no word yet on US pricing or availability. 

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