Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner: review, specifications, pros/cons, reviews

Robotic vacuum cleaners make cleaning much easier. Compared with classic devices, with robotic vacuum cleaners do not need to spend a lot of time preparing them for work.

Many companies produce such vacuum cleaners, which differ in functionality and appearance. Chinese company Xiaomi is constantly expanding its range, and in 2016 they created their first robotic vacuum cleaner. This article presents a review of the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner.

The machine is used for dry cleaning, with a container volume of 0.42 liters. The vacuum cleaner has a presentable appearance, the function of control from the phone, the construction of the map of the room and several modes of operation.

Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner functionality

The design of the robot vacuum cleaner has its own differences from its competitors. Round shape made of white plastic, with a matte surface. Because of the color the device can get dirty.

But the white color plays a positive role, in the dark vacuum cleaner is easy to detect. On the top cover there is a rangefinder and two control buttons: "on" and "home". On the front there is a proximity sensor, and on the back of the device there are two contacts, an air vent and a speaker for notifications. Inside is a plastic tank, for the removal of which there are special compartments for the fingers. The entire back of the robot vacuum cleaner is occupied by a Nera-filter. For a tight fit of the case, the entire unit is sealed with a sealant.

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Orientation

Robot vacuum cleaner from Xiaomi has 12 different sensors to increase the efficiency of the vacuum cleaner:

1. Rangefinder - laser navigation scans surrounding objects, and determines the distance to them.
2. Wall distance sensor - tracks the distance to walls, blocking against collisions.
3. Dust sensor - to control and monitor dust.
4. Obstacle sensor - scans nearby obstacles.
5. Ultrasonic Radar - The radar triggers when approaching a disturbance.
6. Large particle sensor - the sensor filters and detects large debris.
7. Compass based on an electromagnet - helps in orientation in space.
8. Gyroscope - with the help of this sensor the robot vacuum cleaner remembers the place from which it left.
9. Accelerometer - allows you to measure the acceleration of the device under the influence of external forces.
10. Speedometer - regulates the speed of movement.
11. Fall sensor - limits the vacuum cleaner from falling.
12. Fan speed sensor - adjusts the rotation speed of the fan.

All of them increase the efficiency of the robot. The device has excellent maneuverability, and it does not crash into obstacles. Map of the room, stored in memory, is updated continuously. You can not worry when rearranging furniture or repairs that the unit will be lost. The dimensions of the wheels are well thought out, allowing the device to pass through small obstacles. The manufacturer declared the maximum height of obstacles to be 18 mm. The device has problems with detecting height differences: for example, it may not notice a carpet with 0.5 cm fluff and bypass it as an obstacle. If the robot does go over the carpet, it will get lost in the lint and send error notifications. A black carpet will be perceived as a pit, and it will also bypass it. It is worth removing all carpets before cleaning. Robot vacuum cleaner is ideal for working on a flat floor with the absence of height differences.

Type of cleaning

This device does not have the function of wet cleaning, so it can only remove dust and small debris. After cleaning the surface from dust, you will have to wash the floor yourself. If the vacuum cleaner will run into a spot, it will start to send a notification to change the filter, brush, end of cleaning or errors. Before cleaning, you should remove all unnecessary and soft things from the floor, otherwise the vacuum cleaner will suck them up or get tangled. The front-side and side brushes work when cleaning. The front brush sweeps debris toward the main brush, and the main brush directs it toward the dustbin. They have flexible and resilient leads with stiff bristles, ensuring quality cleaning and no deformation. There are two operating modes in the model:

• Single cleaning - cleaning the entire room.
• And the second mode is for spot cleaning, which is the cleaning of a certain spot.

After the made cleaning of the space, it is necessary to clean the vacuum cleaner as well. It can be cleaned every 2-3 times.

Remote control

The robot vacuum cleaner can be controlled through the application Mi Home, where you can set the schedule of the device and make a start. You can turn on the vacuum cleaner even when you are away from home, for example from work. In the app it is possible to see the area already cleaned. The minus of the application is that it is in English. The developers translated not all parts, some menus in Chinese. There is no voice control via your phone. If notifications are turned on, the vacuum cleaner will notify you when you need to change the filter, when cleaning is complete, or when other errors occur. You can also control it with the mechanical buttons on the body. There are only two of them. One is used to turn on the vacuum cleaner, and the second button is responsible for sending the unit to the station.

The battery

The battery capacity is 5200 mAh, which gives autonomous work up to 2.5 hours. During this time, the robot will be able to clean an area of 80 to 100 sq.m. In quiet and slow mode, it will clean a two-room apartment in 55 minutes. With increased use of sensors, the discharge is faster. If the vacuum cleaner didn't manage to clean the entire space during the cleaning time and runs down to 20%, it goes back to recharge, saving a map of the places it has already cleaned. After charging, it picks up where it left off.
Restriction of the cleaning space is made by sticking a special magnetic tape on the floor. It has to be purchased separately, it is not included in the package.

The package of the robot vacuum cleaner

In the package with a robot vacuum cleaner supplied:

• Charging station
• Power cord
• Device for cleaning the main brush
• Manual

Pros and cons of the model

The pros of the device are:

• Autonomy.
• 12 sensors and 3 processors.
• The construction and constant updating of the map of the room.
• The possibility of remote control through the application.
• Shows the cleaning process in real time.
• Scheduled cleaning.
• Compactness.
• Local cleaning mode.
• Convenient visualization and cleaning of the dust container.

Cons:

• Does not clean corners.
• Lack of wet cleaning function.
• Interruptions in the operation of the application.
• Errors in height differences.
• Carpet with high pile can cause error.
• Black color is perceived as a chasm.

Technical specifications

Specifications	Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Cleaning type	Dry
Mode of operation	Normal, local, zigzag mode, along the walls, quick cleaning
Control	Mechanical and via app
Moving	2 wheels and 1 swivel castor
Dust bag	1 transparent
Brushes	1 main brush and 1 side brush
Additional cleaning	Fixed scraper
Features	Built-in clock, soft bumper
Fine filter	Present
Cleaning Area	Up to 250 sq.m.
Suction power	1800PA
Battery capacity	5200 mAh
Battery type	Li-ion
Sensor Type	Infrared and ultrasonic
Number of sensors	12
Power consumption	55 W
Dimensions	34.50 cm x 34.50 cm x 9.60 cm
Weight	3.8 kg

Conclusions

Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner is great for cleaning flat surfaces without carpets. Sensors and special functional brushes, help the vacuum cleaner to effectively fight dirt.

12 sensors help the robot to map, navigate, avoid obstacles and prevent falls. It cleans starting from selected areas, then zigzags through the rest of the way. The vacuum cleaner can be set up and tracked in the Mi Home app.

Using it, you can create a schedule of the vacuum cleaner, set the time and intensity of cleaning. After acquiring a magnetic tape, you can separate the space that does not need to be cleaned. The disadvantages include poor cleaning of corners, the lack of a wet cleaning function and minimal equipment.

Customer reviews

Anna: " I use this vacuum cleaner for 2 months already. The work is all satisfied. I have set it to work on schedule. I can clean when I am at work. When I get home everything is clean. Through the app I can track my mistakes. Of the disadvantages: It does not work well with the carpet. Always gives me an error.

Sergey: "I haven't noticed any disadvantages. I clean the box from the dust once every 7 days. It's convenient. Avoids collisions when working. This is my best purchase for my new apartment."

Video review