Comparison Xiaomi MiJia 1S vs Xiaomi MiJia Robot Vacuum Cleaner

The suction force provided by the vacuum cleaner. It is indicated by the maximum vacuum (negative pressure) that the unit can create at the working nozzle.

Note that this parameter is sometimes confused with the suction power described above, which is indicated in watts. Yes, suction force to some extent determines the efficiency of the unit. However, this efficiency also depends on the performance (airflow). And the suction power, indicated in watts, takes into account both of these parameters — it is determined by multiplying the suction force by the performance (see above for more details). For this reason, there is no strict relationship between this force and suction power: for example, a vacuum of 25,000 Pa can be found in models with 250 W, 200 W and even 150 W of power.

As for the practical significance of this spec, in general, a higher suction force allows you to work more efficiently with high resistance. For example, when processing carpets with a long pile. On the other hand, more pascals (with the same number of watts) means less airflow and, accordingly, less efficiency for large amounts of work at low resistance (for example, cleaning large rooms with parquet floors). Thus, it makes sense to pay attention to this indicator mainly in cases where high suction force is fundamental for you. In other cases, it is worth evaluating the capabilities of the vacuum cleaner in terms of suction power in watts.

Note that for a number of...reasons, the suction power is most often specified for robot vacuum cleaners (see “Produc type”). For such models, a value of 1500 Pa and below is considered very small, 1500 – 2000 Pa — medium, 2000 – 2500 Pa — high, more than 2500 Pa — very high.

It is also worth mentioning that the indication of suction force is often used as a publicity trick — to improve the impression of the product. For example, the suction power of 150 watts in itself is quite modest. But at the same time, the suction force of such a vacuum cleaner can be 25,000 Pa — a very impressive figure, especially for an inexperienced buyer, but having a very indirect relation to real efficiency. Especially often, such tricks are used among upright models and the already mentioned robots — these varieties initially do not differ in high power in watts. For many of these units, the characteristics only indicate the vacuum in pascals without specifying the suction power. It further enhances the impression: for example, in the specs of a modest robot, the figure "3000 Pa" looks much more impressive than "40 W". However, such figures have a very weak relation to the real capabilities of the unit and if they are not supplemented by data on suction power in watts, they should be considered solely as bait for a not particularly sophisticated buyer.

A method for limiting the processed space provided in a robot vacuum cleaner.

Another name for this feature is "virtual wall". Its general meaning is quite obvious: a “wall” (or several walls) allows you to limit the movement of the robot on the surface to be cleaned. It can be useful if cleaning needs to be done in a room without a door. Or if part of the floor is occupied by small items that do not need to be cleaned (for example, pieces of a puzzle being assembled). But the specific possibilities of such a restriction are directly related to how it is implemented. Note that the function is found mainly in middle-class robot vacuum cleaners and top models. Budget robotic "cleaners" often do not have the function of limiting the zones of the processed space - they do not have one.

Here are the main options found in modern robots:

— Laser sensor. A fairly popular option due to its simplicity, low cost, as well as simplicity and ease of use in fact. Usually, when installing the laser limiter, it is enough to put it on the floor and point it in the right direction. On the other hand, such devices are not well suited for creating complex borders. The classic format of the laser limiter is linear: a doorway or room is blocked by a direct beam, which is perceived by the robot as the boundary of the treated area. In addition, some models may also provide a circular mode, when the sensor forms a "forbidden zone" in...the form of a circle or sector of a certain diameter. This format of work allows to fence off the corners of rooms and small areas near the walls (a typical example is the location of a dog or cat bowl in the kitchen). If you need to create a border of a different, more specific shape, this will require several sensors at best (even though one limiter is usually supplied in the kit if supplied at all); and in the worst case, it will be completely impossible. It is also worth considering that the range of the laser in linear mode is usually limited to 3 – 4 metres; this is most often sufficient for residential premises and small offices. However, it may not be enough for a large space. And the emitters are usually powered by batteries or accumulators, the charge of which is limited.

— Magnetic tape. Limiter in the form of a tape made of magnetic material laid on the floor. Such a tape is spotted by a special sensor and is perceived by the robot as a border that cannot be crossed. For secure fixation, it is usually made self-adhesive, and the intensity of the magnetic field in most cases ensures effective operation through carpets and other similar coverings. One of the key advantages of such restraints is that almost any shape of the restricted zone can be formed from the sections of tape: the length of individual sections can be chosen at your discretion, and the maximum total length is limited only by the stock of tape at hand. In addition, this type of limiter does not require power. The disadvantages of this option include the complexity of laying in some conditions (for example, under a continuous carpet covering). In addition, at best, a very small amount of tape is included in the package; and many vacuum cleaners are not equipped with it at all, so you need to buy a magnetic tape additionally.

— Via the application. The most advanced way to limit cleaning: the boundaries of the working area are set on a smartphone or other gadget through an application that is also used for general control of the robot. Almost all models with this function also have the function of building a map of the premises (see below) — the finished map is displayed in the application, and on it the user can set the boundaries of the working area at will. The simplest version of such borders is separate straight lines. However, control applications often provide more extensive features: broken lines and polygons from individual segments, standard shapes (circle, oval, rectangle) and even the ability to draw a border by hand. Anyway, this method of restriction is extremely convenient and functional. However, robot vacuum cleaners with this capability are expensive, mainly due to the presence of a complex mapping system.

Additional functions provided in the design of the robot vacuum cleaner (see "Type").

Most often in modern robots you can find such special functions: scheduled cleaning, fall protection, obstacle sensor, object recognition, water supply adjustment, control via the Internet, remote control and video surveillance camera. Here is a more detailed description of each of them:

- Scheduled cleaning. The ability to set a schedule according to which the vacuum cleaner will clean automatically, without additional commands from the customer. At the same time, the specific features of such programming may be different, they should be specified separately. So, in the simplest models, the schedule is limited to individual hours within a day - for example, from 16 to 17; at the set hours, the vacuum cleaner is switched on every day. More advanced devices may provide a schedule for the days of the week or even for the dates of the month or year. In any case, this function greatly simplifies the use: it is enough to set the schedule once - and you can not worry about cleaning for at least a few days; especially since most models with this capability also have the function of docking...(see “Robot Configuration - Charging Station”), and the customer only needs to periodically empty the dust container (which is even more simplified if there is a docking station with a bag - see . below).

- Fall protection. Special protection that prevents the vacuum cleaner from falling off steps, high thresholds, etc. In most cases, the basis of such a system is one or more sensors located on the underside of the case. When the vacuum cleaner travels to the edge of the surface being treated, the sensor reacts to this edge - as a result, the device stops and changes direction in order to avoid falling.

- Obstacle sensor. Sensor (or sensor system) for detecting obstacles in the path of the vacuum cleaner. The specific type of such sensors can be different: ultrasonic, infrared, laser, contact, etc. However, in any case, this function allows the device to move in space, avoiding collisions and determining the best detour path. Note that models without such a sensor, for the most part, are also able to bypass obstacles - however, for this, the robot must not only stumble upon a foreign object, but try to pass through it. And only in case of failure, the trajectory changes - moreover, randomly, far from always in the optimal (or at least suitable) direction.

- Object recognition. The function of recognizing various objects on the floor that may interfere with the cleaning process. It is implemented through the presence of a front camera to adjust the optimal route for the vacuum cleaner along the perimeter of the serviced area. The camera in the design of the robotic cleaner reads the outlines of objects and allows you to bypass such obstacles. As a result, slippers, socks thrown under the bed, children's's toys and wires will no longer interfere with the movements of the vacuum cleaner. The function is of particular benefit in the presence of pets at home that are not accustomed to the tray - the robot will calmly has their waste products and keep the nervous system of pet owners healthy.

— Adjustment of water supply. Dosing system for the degree of wetting of the washing cloth in automatic mode. The ability to select the intensity of the water supply allows you to adjust the operation of the robotic vacuum cleaner for different types of floor coverings. For example, for parquet and laminate, the customer can set a low water flow rate, and for less whimsical tiled flooring, a high water flow rate. Also, the vacuum cleaner can turn off the water supply to avoid leaks, for example, when charging. In advanced models of robotic vacuum cleaners, the function of choosing an individual degree of wetting of the napkin for each of the rooms of the dwelling is often incorporated.

— Docking station with a bag. Docking station with its own trash bag. Upon arrival at such a stand, the robot can not only recharge the battery, but also carry out self-cleaning - unload the collected garbage into an external container; The capacity of the dock, as a rule, is enough for several unloadings. The convenience of this function is obvious: it allows the device to work longer without customer intervention, eliminates the need to manually clean the vacuum cleaner when the dust container is full (besides, unloading garbage from the dock is usually easier than such cleaning). True, and such opportunities are quite expensive.

- Management from the Internet. The ability to control the vacuum cleaner via the Internet - most often through a special application on a smartphone or other gadget (theoretically, such control is also possible through a web page that opens in any browser, but in practice this method is almost never used). The robot itself is connected to the network via Wi-Fi. The main advantage of this function is obvious - it allows you to give commands to the device from anywhere in the world where there is Internet access. In this way, for example, you can start a cleaning programme the day before you return from vacation in order to return to a freshly cleaned apartment. And the vacuum cleaner, in turn, can send various notifications to the customer - about the state of the battery, the progress of cleaning, the fullness of the dust container, etc.

- Remote control. A classic remote control that allows you to give commands to the device from a distance. As a rule, such a remote control covers all the main functions of the vacuum cleaner, and in many models it also allows you to directly control the movement. In any case, without remote access, it would be very difficult to control a moving vacuum cleaner - you would either have to wait until it finishes working, or catch the unit on the go. In light of this, this feature is very popular; however, on sale you can find a lot of robots without a remote control. As a rule, these are either the simplest budget devices with a random movement mode and without any additional functions, or advanced models where a smartphone / tablet with an application is used for control.
We also note that the remote controls in robotic vacuum cleaners usually work via an infrared channel - similar to remote controls for TVs, air conditioners, etc. Thus, to receive a command, the vacuum cleaner must be in the line of sight. However, in most cases this can not be called a serious inconvenience.

- Videcam. Own surveillance camera built right into the vacuum cleaner. This feature is only found on web-based models (see above); it allows you to use the robot as a remote video surveillance system and control the situation in the room, being outside and watching the picture from the camera on the smartphone screen. Also, the built-in camera can be used in the mapping system (see "Building a room map") - however, we note that not every vacuum cleaner with a built-in mapping camera has a video surveillance function.

Types of voice assistants supported by the robot vacuum cleaner.

As the name implies, this function allows you to control the robot using voice commands. However, we emphasize that in this case, we are not talking about the voice recognition system built into the vacuum cleaner but about compatibility with an external device on which the corresponding voice assistant is installed — a smartphone, tablet, smart speaker, etc. Thus, to use voice control, an additional device will inevitably be required; on the other hand, there are no problems with the search for such a device nowadays. And in itself, such a control method often turns out to be more convenient than a command from the remote control or searching for the desired option in the control application.

As for specific assistants, the most popular nowadays are (in alphabetical order) Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, Google Assistant. And in robot vacuum cleaners, compatibility can be provided both with one of them and with several at once. The specific control functionality available through the voice assistant should be specified separately for each model. It is also worth paying attention to the supported languages: for Siri, the language must be selected in the settings, for the Google Assistant, automatic language recognition is available (some adjustment may be required), and in Alexa (as of early 2021) support for the Russian language is not provided at all.

The highest height of thresholds and various small obstacles that the robot cleaner can effectively overcome.

Most modern robots are able to effectively cope with obstacles with a height of 10 to 18 mm — this allows at least without problems to cross the edges of carpets, and small height differences at the boundaries of rooms (due to the difference in the type of coating), etc. But the models where the indicator is 20 mm or more are already referred to as robots capable of crossing high thresholds. However, even in such devices, the permissible height of obstacles does not exceed 30 mm. It is due to the fact that to overcome high obstacles, in particular, large wheels and high ground clearance are needed — and these features, in turn, increase the overall height of the robot, make it difficult to move under furniture and other low-lying objects, as well as reduce suction efficiency. On the other hand, even thin robots, whose height does not exceed 70 mm, can have very good crossing ability — for some of them, the maximum threshold height is about 25 mm.