Mint: Intelligent Floor Cleaning Robot

Mint: Intelligent Floor Cleaning Robot

[CES 2010] Today, Evolution Robotics announced Mint, a new type of floor cleaner robot. Unlike the popular Roomba from iRobot, Mint has a square form factor and is over 3 inches smaller, sitting at under 10 inches wide, making it possible to clean into tight spaces, between chair legs for example. Another major difference with the Roomba is the Evolution's own cleaning navigation system, NorthStar technology: using an IR projector and integrating information from three different on-board positioning systems, it allows Mint to map the room, plan areas for cleaning and detect any spots not covered on the first pass. In comparison, the Roomba acts like a 'blind' device, bumping into obstacles and navigating randomly in the room for hours.

(Via UberGizmo, the Gadgets News Blog.)