iRobot has announced the availability of two automated robotic floor cleaners in India. Puresight Systems that is based in Bangalore is the official distributor of the products.
The first is an automated vacuum cleaner called Roomba. It is available in 5 different models ranging from the Roomba 620 that starts at Rs32,900 till the Roomba 880 that costs Rs69,900.
The 600 series Roombas have sensors that that allow it to detect stairs and prevent it from falling. It has acoustic sensors that help it track dirt as well as a feature that allows it to prevent tangles with wires and cords.
The 700 series Roomba has better battery life and more suction power. It also has optical sensors to sense dirt instead of acoustic sensors. The 800 series has five times more suction power than a regular Roomba and has a built-in HEPA filter that can capture upto 99% of small dust particles (upto 1 micron in size). They also have auto charging and scheduled cleaning.
Then there is the Braava series that is a floor mopping robot. It can do both wet/dry cleaning and it costs Rs 27,900. It has a rectangular design instead of a circular one and slightly resembles a Polaroid camera.
The iRobot devices will be available through their official website that will have an online shop. They will also be available across leading e-commerce websites soon. For now, they are looking at Bangalore and are planning to expand to the rest of India in two years through a staged rollout. So far iRobot has sold over 14 million units in over 60 countries and are looking to expand that number further through sales in India.