Get the robot to do it

When we were children and watched “The Jetsons” on TV, audiences were introduced to a series of electronic gizmos and gadgets that made life easier for humans. This included everything from ovens that cooked five-course meals from a capsule, flying cars and of course robots that cleaned our house from top to bottom. Now in the 21st century, science fiction has become science fact in at least one of these areas – domestic robots.

These days you can get a machine to literally do your dirty work. There are many robots available today that are designed to do chores that humans don’t enjoy, including vacuuming the house and washing the floors. There is even a robot dog that acts as a security cam and alarm system that patrols your home while you’re away. You can connect to it over the Internet, see everything in real time and even control where it goes. If you happen to catch an intruder or something goes wrong, you can alert the police or fire department.

Perhaps the most well-known model of the mechanical maids is the Roomba floor vacuum. Introduced in 2002, this robot looks like a cross between a laser-tag helmet and a go-kart. With a number of sensors and the ability to get into and out of tight spaces, this cute little machine vacuums the floor with incredible precision.  It has the ability to sense the messier areas and spends more time there, knows where obstacles like the stairs are and stops before falling down them. The Roomba even returns itself to the docking station to recharge its batteries for the next use. You can set it up so it cleans your floor a few times a day and it will start itself to do so.

iRobot is the company that created the Roomba and they have also released its close cousin, the Scooba. With different models and various sizes, this robot is designed to wash all non-carpeted floors with a cleaning solution and scrub out stains and messes that it detects.

Visit www.canadiantire.ca or www.irobot.com