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Robot vacuum with triple lidar system has eyes to help it avoid poop

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Robot vacuums are supposed to help clean your home, not dirty it up in a catastrophic way. That’s why tales of robot vacuums running over poop and smearing it across the floor create so much schadenfreude — while it’s hilarious to hear about, it’s not so much fun when it happens to you. The 360 Smart Life Robot Vacuum Cleaner has eyes to help it detect such messes and obstacles before there are any mishaps.

How, exactly? Does it have a built-in poop sensor? Not really — but it does use a triple light detection and ranging (lidar) system to better identify slim objects on the ground in front of it, including pet-induced Tootsie Rolls. Most modern robot vacuums use only a single sensor, which gives them something of a “2D” view. While they are aware of potential objects in their path, the devices do not receive enough information to judge its size.

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With three lidar sensors–a wall sensor, a main sensor, and a front sensor — the 360 Smart Life Robot Vacuum can gauge the size of objects. The built-in artificial intelligence (A.I.) allows it to decide in real time whether to continue over an object or avoid it. These sensors allow it to pick up items as small as 0.04 inches in size.

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The 360 Smart Life S10 can vacuum your floors with up to 3,300Pa of suction power, while its 3D mapping capabilities allow it to learn the layout of the home in no time at all. The A.I. will then determine the most efficient route through the home to provide you with a thorough clean, but it doesn’t stop with just vacuuming.

The 520ml water tank means the 360 Smart Life S10 can also mop hard surfaces in the home. It combines all the capabilities of a robot vacuum and a robot mop into a single device, which makes better use of the limited space in your home. The robot vacuum is also only 3.5 inches high, allowing it to fit under obstacles like couches and chairs with ease.

While these features are already impressive, the S10 also allows users to create virtual “no-go” zones to keep the vacuum out of trouble. Automatic carpet detection means it will never spray your carpet, and you can trust it to avoid dragging pet droppings through the house.

The 360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10 is currently available on Indiegogo for $520 and is estimated to begin shipping in May of 2021. Just be aware about some of the potential pitfalls with crowdfunding projects.

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Patrick Hearn
Patrick Hearn
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…
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