--Exclusive interview with senior technical consultants in the industry to answer questions on the purchase of sweeping machines
1. Intelligent sweeping robots are considered by reporters to be a sunrise industry. As the technology becomes more mature and costs decrease, it will Will go into the homes of ordinary people. I would like to ask you to introduce: 1. The development history of intelligent sweeping robots. 2. What is the current brand arrangement in the intelligent sweeping robot industry? What are the brand manufacturers with R&D capabilities? 2. Please introduce from a professional perspective how to measure the main performance of the next good sweeping robot product? The products seen on the market today are basically the same. What are the differences between the products? In what aspects can we measure the quality of a product? 3. For ordinary consumers, how do you choose to buy? Please introduce the selection method? 4. Are there any tips and tricks for using intelligent sweeping robots? 5. Please introduce the future development trend of the industry.
The development history of robot sweepers:
From the advent of an automatic sweeper named "Trilobite" in 2002, the sweeping robot industry has gone through 11 years of industry development. Continuous upgrading and changes.
Electrolux "Trilobite" is the world's first automatic vacuum cleaner robot. The "Trilobite II" is one of the most "expensive" products currently on the market, priced at more than 20,000 yuan. Its biggest selling point is the use of bionic ultrasonic technology, which can quickly detect and avoid obstacles like a bat flying in the dark. (Due to the high technical threshold and cost of bionic ultrasonics, only Proscenic of Taiwan and Sharp of Japan use the same technology)
Between 2002 and 2006, Irobot of the United States and Proscenic of Taiwan launched their own different series of products. Irobot was developed by The mechanized industrial equipment manufacturing industry is expanding into the intelligent cleaning industry. Proscenic is a product developed by Taiwan Industrial Research Institute and focuses on the design and development of smart home cleaning. During this period, the main machine of the robot sweeper evolved from the traditional vacuum cleaner and mainly worked by vacuum suction. Sweeping walks are primarily collision-based. Due to technical bottlenecks and low practicality of the product, it has not been accepted by the mass market.
Since 2007, more companies have gradually entered this market. More manpower and material resources have been invested, which has greatly promoted the advancement of product technology and the upgrading of the entire industry. Products are also exposed to more ordinary consumers. The first-line brand manufacturers that have entered the industry so far include: electrolux (Sweden), Irobot (USA), Proscenic (Taiwan), LG, Sharp, Toshiba, etc.
Based on the current domestic consumption level, it is recommended that consumers choose Proscenic and Irobot, which have relatively higher cost performance. The two products are currently the leading technology products in the industry in the intelligent application and cleaning systems.
In terms of cleaning system, Irobot has always used a rubber-bristle brush-to-pin cleaning mode. This cleaning mode is mainly designed for European and American families who are accustomed to laying full carpets. It is very effective at cleaning carpets and large particles, but is less effective at cleaning fine dust on wooden floors and tiled smooth floors. In terms of price, due to the brand strategy, the domestic sales price of Irobot is much higher than that in the European, American and Japanese markets. Consumers can choose to purchase through overseas purchasing.
Proscenic is designed for Oriental families and adopts a cleaning mode with liftable V-brush and vacuum suction. The lifting V brush can better fit the ground, and has a more obvious treatment effect on dust adsorbed on the smooth floor by static electricity. Its latest 902 series models adopt a system modular design, which has more advantages in intelligent application of products and after-sales maintenance.
It is worth mentioning that most brands of sweeping robots are OEM-produced in Shenzhen, known as the world's factory. Irobot and Proscenic are both produced by foreign-funded enterprises in Shenzhen.
Domestic OEMs for domestic brands such as Ecovacs, Yijie, KV8, Format, and Zhibao are also concentrated in the Pearl River Delta region. The biggest difference between first-tier brands and domestic machines is that they use different technical solutions. In addition, the nature of the production companies is different. Compared with domestic-funded factories, foreign-funded companies have more difficulties in the supply chain quality control system of the entire component. Many advantages.
Most domestic machines are very good in appearance, but the cleaning systems are imitated by first-tier manufacturers. The cleaning walking algorithm is also limited by the core patented technology. The cleaning effect and intelligence of the machine are still quite different from those of first-line brands. In addition, both Irobot and Proscenic have design patents for their respective cleaning systems. In mature markets such as Europe and the United States, these imitated products are difficult to enter due to the protection of intellectual property rights and the limitations of their craftsmanship.
The single-suction type with good sales performance in China is manufactured by the same factory as the same type of machine. This machine mainly works in vacuum suction mode because it only has a small suction port and lacks a middle sweep. The system cost is reduced a lot. However, the cleaning effect of the product is very different from that of machines with a mid-sweep system. Because the product does not have core patented technology, intellectual property rights are infringed. Such products have been unable to enter peripheral markets such as Europe, the United States, and Japan.
Some consumers have seen shopping guides demonstrate the cleaning capabilities of robots in shopping malls. Taking the domestic model as an example, friends who have been to shopping malls discovered that shopping guides use this method in sales (after the machine has cleaned On the ground, the shopping guide used a white paper towel to wipe away any trace of stolen goods.) Is the situation really so amazing? In fact, the products developed by any company today are impossible to achieve. Sales guides have their own professional wiping methods. What consumers see when they go to the mall is actually just a superficial appearance. Sweeping robots can indeed maintain the hygiene and cleanliness of the home and reduce the number of cleanings required by people, but they should not be overly exaggerated or even deified.
Sweeping robots are now being launched in the domestic market at a rapid pace. At first glance, the appearance and functions are similar, but there are so many styles and brands. As a consumer, how do you choose a truly practical sweeping robot?
1. Choose a brand, choose a technology, and choose a brand with its own core technology.
2. Look at the functions and detailed designs (automatic recharging, remote control, virtual wall, scheduled automatic cleaning, multiple cleaning modes). Most of these essential functions are available, but domestic models are different from There is a huge difference in peripheral technology products)
3. Look at the core working components of the robot (motor, walking detection mode, cleaning system).
4. Look at the battery capacity (sweepers are all 25W~40W, with a power consumption of about 25W~40W. Some domestic brands use 1500MAH batteries, which can be exaggerated to say that they work for 120 minutes). The battery capacity of smart sweepers is normal. At 2500~3000MAH. Please pay attention to these.
5. The most important point. What is the detection mode used when the machine is cleaning and walking?
Sound-imitating ultrasonic VS infrared
Ultrasonic detection uses animal bionics (similar to bats and whales) and can identify any color of the home environment without collision.
Infrared detection: It has certain requirements on the color of household items. When it encounters dark or light colors, the machine cannot distinguish between them and collides with the household items. Over time, the household items will be stained by the collision. .
The technology used in most domestic machines now is still the early technology of first-tier brands around 2007. (Infrared, Bluetooth remote control, traditional carbon brush vacuum motor, etc. The latest industry applications include ultrasonic bionic technology detection, RF wireless remote control, brushless vacuum motor, etc.).
You will find out if you compare carefully when purchasing. Many domestic phones of different brands will have a small dot on the front (top): this is an infrared receiver, because infrared rays are not sensitive to transparent and dark objects, and are prone to collisions with household items. Time is aside. You will find spots where the furniture has been touched.
On the other hand, when choosing, you can compare the cleaning systems of the chassis. It is not recommended to refer to machines of different brands if they are reversed and have the same bottom cleaning structure. Most of these machines are domestic OEM assembly machines. The V-shaped sweep brush is the cleaning system with the best cleaning effect that has been proven so far.
Many brands of sweeping robots advertise how long they can work, but the numbers are relatively unreal. Consumers can simply ask about the battery capacity of the sweeping robot. The capacity of the battery determines its working time. Another point is what kind of battery is used. In order to make a selling point, some manufacturers advertise that they use "lithium batteries". However, in actual use, for products such as sweeping robots, the lithium electrode is prone to swelling over time when the vacuum cleaner motor is used on a high-efficiency discharge platform. Lithium batteries are suitable for laptops, but not for sweeping machines. This is why 95% of the industry uses nickel-metal hydride batteries.
With the continuous improvement of domestic living standards, sweeping robots that have been sold in European and American markets have gradually entered ordinary people's homes, and are gradually accepted by more and more people. Sweeping robots will In the near future, it will become an essential cleaning helper in every home like white goods. Products will also develop from the current low-level intelligence to a higher level of intelligence, gradually replacing manual cleaning.