Australian technology news, reviews, and guides to help you
Australian technology news, reviews, and guides to help you
Ecovacs Atmobot launched at CES 2019

Ecovacs ready for robots to purify your air

Not sure if your air is as allergen and pollen free as it could be, and need a purifier that travels with you? The robot vacuum wizards at Ecovacs may have a novel solution.

When it comes to cleaning your home, there are numerous gadgets you can look into.

Vacuum cleaners are an obvious one, and these days there are robotic vacuums that actually do the job of vacuuming rather than merely sweeping grit and grime along. There are also window washers that can clean the outside, as well.

But what about something that’s a little more difficult to clean, like the air in your home?

Indeed, air purifiers certainly exist, and we even saw a large example of one of those last year, but what if you want the purifier to travel with you? After all, we have vacuums that will wander along room to room and clean the floor, so why not an air purifier that can do the same?

Robotic cleaning appliance company Ecovacs has been pondering the same thought, and this year at CES, has shown a purifier that can do just that: wander from room to room cleaning the air.

Ecovacs Atmobot launched at CES 2019

The concept has been unveiled in the Ecovacs Atmobot (above), an autonomous air purifying robot that uses laser and ultra-sonic sensors to create a virtual map, using this to navigate the area and create paths so that it can clear the area.

The robot will select spots to purify the air in, and move to a different spot when the air is clear, helping to keep allergens and pollen at bay when you need a purifier in more than one room of the home.

Ecovacs Atmobot launched at CES 2019

Ecovacs says the technology in the Atmobot relies on a four layer HEPA filter to clear the air, while the fan has three levels of power, and will even guide itself around, working autonomously, but able to be controlled using an Ecovacs app to specifically point the robot at an area to purify the air in.

The development of an air purifier robot hasn’t come alone, with Ecovacs also showing off a new robotic vacuum, likely arriving this year in the Deebot Ozmo 960.

Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo 960 launched at CES 2019

Robotics vacuums aren’t exactly foreign to Ecovacs — it has “vac” in its name, so you can kind of imagine its beginnings — and the Deebot Ozmo 960 aims to be pretty cutting edge, using a dash of artificial intelligence alongside its map creation.

It’s a technology Ecovacs calls “Artificial Intelligence and Visual Interpretation”, which is shortened to “AIVI” and developed to analyse surroundings and obstacles in the effort to make a better autonomous vacuum.

Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo 960 launched at CES 2019

In theory, Ecovacs’ AIVI system means you won’t have to move objects out of the Ozmo 960’s way, as it can roughly recognise what these objects are, and mope a path around them if needed.

Of course, there’s no information on if or when Ecovacs robotic appliances will be heading to Australia, but like with all things CES, the moment we know, you’ll see it here, too.

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