Toshiba Take the Robot Vacuuming Challenge to Roomba

The vacuuming robot Roomba is set for competition as Toshiba releases a new robot vacuum for Japan called Smarbo. The robot which is aimed at home users has some interesting features including two Central Processing Units of which the company is yet to release more details.

The Smarbo for Japan will have a camera and close to 38 different sensors that include a gyro, a range detector and an accelerometer. Toshiba claim the robot can vacuum 100 square meters of floor in 90 minutes.

It can also be put into spot mode where it will clean within a 1.5 m square circle. The robot can be controlled by a remote control from across the room and will cost a mere $0.03 in the monthly electric bill for a 100 square meter room.

The robot will be able to go around objects in its vicinity and back to its charging station once it is done with its job. Smarbo measures 355x355x93mm and weighs 3.7kg. When in use it produces 52dB of sound. The robot will hit Japan on October 1 and is likely to be sold at $1,175 a piece. This is inclusive of the remote control and charging station.