My Robot
So a number of years ago I bought a robot. While I didn't have pets, I thought it would be a good idea to have something that could go between the kitchen and living room and pick up the occasional bits that hit the floor that I missed. I generally keep things clean, but, well, being as someone highly interested in technology, I thought it would be fun.
The robot was a cheaper name-brand one as compared with iRobot and other high-cost ones. It was a simple thing. I attach a piece of scrubbing cloth to the front of it and it roams around an picks up things with its semi-weak vacuum. Frankly, I didn't buy it because I think I'm a messy person. It was more of a desire to have a robot and see what it could do.
Initially... Shrug?
Initially, the robot did as it was prescribed. It took maybe a couple of hours to charge it. Then I put it on the tiled floor and turned it on. It moved around in the seemingly random pattern as floor robots are meant to do. They use sensors and map the layout so they can cover every part of the area they roam. The floor seemed cleaner. The robot seemed... happy? Okay not happy, since it was relatively braindead. It was probably just a simplish circuit board with a battery and some motors to move and clean up. I say the floor seemed cleaner. But that could be wishful thinking. In hindsight, had I done a proper analysis of the floor, I probably would have found it was only marginally cleaner. The robot did contain some dust and bits whenever I checked it.
Proof My Robot Was Stupid
After a while, I got used to the sound of the robot roaming around my place. I did have to turn it on to clean. But frankly, flipping a switch and letting it do its thing for a half hour was easy. While it wasn't terribly fast, I didn't have any major complaints... until the end, that is. I happened to be working from home that day and on a conference call. The call wasn't with many people. In fact, it was with people I know rather well. When I get on conference calls, I prefer to walk around or stand. It helps me think faster and become more engrossed in the call. During the call, my robot was doing its thing. At one point, I'm on one end of my place - the kitchen and living rooms are open concept, so there is no wall, just one big living space - when suddenly I hear this God-awful CRASH BOOM! BANG! THUMP! It lasted a handful of seconds. I paused and looked across my place wondering what the hell that noise was. Some people on the phone had heard the noise - it was that loud! I got to my basement door and discovered what the noise was: my robot had fallen down the basement stairs. Apparently the large brass rounded plate at the door was lower than the edge of the robot and it decided it should try to vacuum and sweap up open air. I told the people on the call that my robot was a moron and it fell down the stairs.
Needless to say... it was the last time I used it. I tried to give it away a handful of times, but nobody would take it when I told them the story of why I didn't want it. Eventually I donated it. I wonder if someone did buy it and experience the same thing I did?