If you’ve ever looked for robot vacuums before, you may have noticed that many robot vacuums tend to be circular. Interestingly, the original prototypes for robotic vacuums weren’t round but squarer and slightly taller and bulkier in form. So why are robot vacuums round in general?
Here are 4 reasons why robot vacuums are round:
- Robot vacuums can easily move when they’re round.
- Sweeping is simpler when the vacuums are round.
- Circular vacuums look more beautiful than square ones.
- Round vacuums are faster and more efficient.
I’ll explore these reasons in greater depth below, giving you a better idea of why your robot vacuum is shaped the way it is.
1. Robot Vacuums Can Easily Move When They’re Round
Robotic vacuum cleaners are incredibly agile, making them capable of getting every inch of your floors clean without getting stuck in one spot.
It’s their round, disk-like shape that allows them to swivel past any obstacles in their path. The vacuum’s smooth cylindrical design makes rolling past something like a wall or a table leg straightforward, allowing the robot to clean your floors thoroughly.
These circular devices can easily maneuver away from corners instead of getting stuck between them. With their low-profile height and round shape, you can also rely on them to effortlessly move underneath tables, sofas, beds, and chairs without getting stuck.
So, with a robotic vacuum, all that dust collected underneath your sofa will no longer be a problem.
One can imagine that if these vacuums were built in a square shape like the original prototype, they would be more likely to get stuck in corners or behind furniture. The sharp edges of the vacuum cleaner would fit tightly into corners, and it might be challenging for them to maneuver away from obstacles such as irregularly-shaped furniture legs.
With a smooth, round surface and easy swivel ability, you can be assured that these gadgets won’t often need rescuing.
They’re also incredibly lightweight and built for portability: suffice to say that you won’t have any problems finding suitable storage space or moving it from place to place.
These appliances can turn very efficiently when spiraling around the room, with 360 degrees sensorial visualization of the room. Their balanced structure lets them clean your home effectively, so you don’t have to focus on your floors.
2. Sweeping Is Simpler When the Vacuums Are Round
Robot vacuums are relatively compact, so it may surprise you to learn that they tend to sweep in a circular surface area that’s larger than themselves. The brushes extend wide during cleaning, and their shape enables them to neatly pack the brushes away so that they’re easy to store.
When the vacuum cleaner collects dust and debris from your floor, it’s stored away in a small bag at the bottom of the vacuum. One of the reasons for having a round vacuum is that it can hide the waste bin quite easily underneath it.
They also tend to clean in a spiral motion, and therefore having a spherical body makes it a lot easier to do so. When spinning over the floor’s surface, their disc-like shape allows them to clean evenly without missing any spots.
Robot vacuums sit very close to the ground, and their shape allows them to do so without scraping the floor. A smooth, rounded edge permits them to clean effectively without scratching any of your furniture or making unnecessary noise.
Some robot vacuums even have a mop function, so all their cleaning equipment is securely tucked underneath their round frames.
3. Circular Vacuums Look More Beautiful Than Square Ones
Naturally, iRobot created robotic vacuum cleaners for convenience, but a bonus is their aesthetic. Tidy, easy to store, and elegant, their smooth edges and disc-like surface mean that utility doesn’t have to be an eyesore.
These little vacuums are also small enough that they’ll never get in the way.
Standard upright vacuum cleaners tend to be large appliances that aren’t just heavy but also quite cumbersome.
On the other hand, robot vacuums are small and light enough that they’ll never act like an annoying obstruction or disrupt the aesthetic in your house. You may not even notice it moving around your home.
For the busy working family, those who travel a lot, or parents with no time to hoover before the school run, robot vacuums are the way forward.
No longer do you have to lug around your bulky vacuum cleaner — now, you can go to work content that your floors will be clean by the time you get home.
4. Round Vacuums Are Faster and More Efficient
Round vacuum cleaners use cameras to detect the boundaries of your room and any obstacles within it. A robotic vacuum cleaner, using these 180º cameras, can scan and clean every inch of your floor without getting stuck against the walls or furniture.
With the vacuum’s circular frame, these front-facing intelligent cameras and sensors can envisage the boundaries of a specified area just by a short rotation. The cameras also help the robot effectively visualize potential obstacles to avoid, which is especially useful when you have delicate or large furniture that the vacuum has to work around.
With built-in navigation software and camera mapping, robot vacuums can also be surprisingly speedy at their jobs. Having the ability to move across a room with obstacles in mind enables it to clean efficiently and quickly — and having a small, circular frame helps a lot with this.
If your robotic vacuum encounters obstacles, it’ll bounce back fairly quickly and continue circling the specified area — so you don’t have to worry about breakage.
Robot vacuums are very independent machines built to be trustworthy enough to clean your house without any babysitting needed.
While some newer models are D-shaped, the traditional robot vacuums still favor a round shape since it is streamlined and beautiful.
Built with ease and efficiency in mind, simple storage capabilities, and aesthetic appeal, the art of being small and round certainly has its advantages, especially when clearing the dust from underneath the sofa.