1. Energy Supply
Operated both devices via battery, a conventional NiMH battery with the Roomba, a LiPo at LG. Here iRobot times likely switch to modern technology, really tragic thing is not. LiPos are more durable, the charging time lies in two at about 3h (12h when Roomba when the battery was fully discharged - usually does not happen). Both models take to load autonomously a charging station at which the Hom Bot here is a clear advantage (see Navigation). The charging station at Hom Bot is significantly bulkier. My Roomba charging station is at the bottom compartment of the television stand on the cabinet wall so that it is virtually invisible during the day, together with suction. You will still find quite reliable.
The Hom Bot has a mechanical switch, the Roomba is not, and must therefore be removed by prolonged non-use of the battery are always in the charging station connected to the network, or. In practice, I want to leave but the suckers anyway at least every second day running, so I have no problem.
2. Navigation
The Roomba 780 runs in automatic mode according to an algorithm, which feels relatively random (but is not not completely random!), Through the apartment. If it encounters an obstacle, it follows the contours of astonishingly accurate. Eventually he turns away, and moves back crisscross through space until it finds an outline. Obstacles are thereby usually * not * jostled hard; Roomba slows down just before starting, colliding with the obstacle relatively gently with its bumper, and decide on the further journey. Chair legs and the like are circling clean. Having not mapped the areas he travels many places several times from - which increases the cleaning time, and displeases many users. But at least he travels quite reliably really any place, even at night in the dark. Severely soiled areas it detects via a sensor, and cleans them very thoroughly, he idem multiple offset slightly forward and backward travels over the place.
On carpets of 780 runs on easily, and adjusts the ride height allegedly the carpet at (I can not observe any visible change, but no problems - he goes and cleans the carpet properly). To clean larger areas, you cross the room by so-called. Lighthouses from which radiate three infrared beam into the room. Roomba calculates the number of Lighthouses at startup by radio, and know as many areas he has total use. It is based also on the lateral beams of Lighthouses, and passes over the middle light beam only when he believes he is finished with the current field. Exactly how he determines when he is finished, will be there a mystery, but it works quite well: small areas he completed much sooner than large ones. The chaotic-looking navigation is probably not quite as chaotic as it seems. Alternatively, a Lighthouse as "Virtual Wall" are used to block out the Roomba permanently. Although the Lighthouses are automatically switched on and off, but they still need batteries (two baby cells). That's annoying, better to use here batteries, if necessary with an appropriate adapter. Kids and pets love the little boxes sometimes, so you can occasionally on an exciting quest for it "happy". The concept does not always one hundred percent, sometimes seems the 780 does not register the Lighthouses at startup properly, can also take a room, and is possibly no longer to the charging station. But that happens rarely, at the next cleaning is then again everything OK.
The LG Hom Bot 2.0 is based visually by means of two cameras, like an optical mouse. He mapped the rooms, and remembers which sites were already left. This works surprisingly well, my full respect for this feat of engineering! However, he spends quite a lot of time to stand still and think about how to best carry on, and moves a bit slower than a total of 780. You can choose between a fast cleaning of large open spaces and a mode select, in which the device the space in areas divides, and this executes sequentially clean. It would be nice if the device would switch automatically here, because what good is my attitude when I have both large open spaces and rooms that are cluttered with furniture and objects? In addition, a contaminated soil does not behave as well as the work of a Fräßmaschine, the material after processing is simply gone. Sometimes just a little dirt remains lying, or is distributed from the suction in space and remains are in places that the device has already departed and therefore avoid. Severely soiled areas are not specially considered. Thus, the well-intentioned navigation concept works not quite. I am disappointed by navigating around objects and within chair legs. While Roomba owners soon seeks his way, the LG rotates around its own axis in panic in order then too Dengeln against the next chair leg - unlike the Roomba but without soft bumpers! The advertised, gentle and non-contact cleaning, there are at least in my house so only in theory. In a series of chairs that was not exactly set up, I thought, the Hom Bot no longer finds out - he searched and searched, collided, and just before he would have been free, he turned again into the maze of ... plants and objects it considers generous spacing, in itself is good, but this much mess stays. Flat objects such as the horizontal pipes of the ironing board it does not recognize, and drives to it like fixed.
Also hitting the runner disappointed when Hom Bot. He needed to fairly long and several attempts, he often pushes lighter runners on there. Once on the carpet, but everything carries on as normal and without any problems.
By driving under the sofas of Hom Bot is a bit timid, it can then only be guided by one of the two cameras, while the Roomba here has no fear, even if it fits just as under the sofa (no wonder he is anyway "blind"). Whether the Hom Bot with his cameras in the dark has problems, I have not tested, but it makes sense.
Schön at Hom Bot: it does not require Lighthouses, always know where the charging station is, and goes quite purposefully back home, when he's done or has to recharge the battery. After reloading, he continues the washing where he left off. But this is only important when a battery is not sufficient for the total cleaning - in my case this is with approximately 80sqm irrelevant for larger floors but a real problem. At Hom offered me however, displeases that he should go to a fault (eg cable in the brush, etc.) itself appears normal to me but every time anyway, the whole apartment has cleansed anew.
Both models have a so-called. Spot mode, which targeted a localized area is traversed helically. This is in my opinion more gimmick because I am much faster with a normal vacuum cleaner - after the robotic vacuum cleaner has to be fetched only once or brought here. In addition, the conventional cleans course thoroughly. The strength of the robotic vacuum cleaner is generally definitely in the regular, constant cleaning.
Both models can also be controlled by remote control. That's very funny, but also just a pretty useless gimmick. Who wants to do that, buy better a remote control car.
3. Sweeping system
The Hom Bot has a floor brush and two opposing side brushes which supply the floor brush coarse dirt, the Roomba two opposing ground brush and a side brush. Unfortunately, the side brushes are too short fall at Hom Bot to get into the corners. No problem, however the Roomba, the corners are well cleaned. The latter indeed crumbs are sometimes not fed to the floor brush from one side brush, but thrown into the room; but that has no effect, after all points are inherently so run over several times. The dirt holding is significantly better when Roomba by the double brush! The Hom Bot let Kuchenkrümel lie even after several passages, the Roomba has eaten at the first time. In particular, on runners (NO, high pile - because I can not think of two good results) cleans the Hom Bot unsatisfactory. When Roomba I rather doubt that it makes too much, and the carpet erodes over time. Carpet fibers found after cleaning the brushes of both models (but also in the sweeping brush my conventional vacuum cleaner).
A special feature is the Roomba of handling cables. Comes in a brush, he reverses the direction of rotation, and spits it back out (assuming the cable is not just completely loose around, it wraps itself around the brush, and you have to manually remove). This is similar for the side brush. The Hom Bot has this feature does not seem to, and has become so tangled in the first ride on a speaker cable that I was trying to cut it, to get him free again. After much fiddling I found out it without scissors again. On pieces of paper and small objects (eg Lego), hanging in the brush, Roomba swallowed the other hand more often than the Hom Bot, but what I honestly attribute to the better dirt holding. What is not sucked, can not get past the brush.
4. Volume
A dream at Hom Bot! One can easily make calls while he is doing his work. The difference between 60 dB of Hom Bot and 70 dB of Roomba is considerable (the Dezibelmaß is logarithmic, 10 dB more are worlds!). Television is but a pinch entirely possible if the Roomba runs (with my conventional vacuum cleaner would be unthinkable). I leave the floor clean at night from the Roomba, and hear in the bedroom on the upper floor of which nothing, even though the staircase is open, and is drawn up towards the staircase. Nevertheless, the Hom Bot is much more pleasant here.
5. Dust container and filter
Both models are equipped with a removable dust bin and HEPA filters (when a large LG, two small the Roomba) equipped. Likeable at Hom Bot: the container can be seen from above, is closed by an automatic door and can be cleaned with water. At 780 you have to remove it from the side, which is somewhat tricky, the cleaning more difficult, and the dirt staring at a Einlasschlitz to open. For allergy sufferers certainly not optimal.
6. Timing
When Roomba can be precise minute programmed for each weekday start time, bzg. cleaning be disabled so that eg will be cleaned only on 3 days per week. The LG only provides a time delay before starting. So you have to start him on a daily basis. Perspective but which is due to the low volume, so to noise-sensitive people may also leave him day run at any time (as long as no children or pets make spanner in the works).
5. Design and Processing
Both devices are nice to look at and act tough. The Roomba is functional, designed, after a week of daily operation, it still looks like new, while Hom Bot has a very classy-looking high-gloss finish that leaves but after the first ride detect slight scratches under the sofa. I do not want to imagine how the unit looks after a few months use me ...
7. Operation and Instructions
Both devices can be operated intuitively via touch interface and via IR remote control, so no dirt that accumulates keys over time. Both feature a speech, said the LG really sounds very mechanically (but who may already speak with a vacuum?). The instructions for the Hom Bot is detail, but apparently machine-translated from Korean. She is full of grammatical errors. The 780 is the well-translated, but very poor. The fact that the "..." - button on the remote the Dockfunktion activated, you have to find out for yourself (at least I have no explanation in the manual found), the paragraph on the language setting is quite well hidden. A normal user should intelligent but have no problem with the operation of both units, even if the manual is not read.
8. Cleaning and maintenance.
No great effort on both models. The sensors should occasionally wiped, free brush of hair and the like, and of course be emptied and cleaned the dust container. As already described, this can be achieved at somewhat pleasant LG. The effort holds is very limited. Filters and brushes can be easily removed, and, if necessary, replaced when worn. How long do the brushes, I do not know.
Conclusion
Although me up for navigation of Hom Bot absolutely thrilled - I really did not think how far developed the robotics is now! - The bottom line is for me the result, and here beats the 780 the Hom Bot significantly. The difference may be less on pure hard floors, but once carpets are in the game, the Roomba has the edge. When Roomba while driving chaotic that may seem strange, but it happens to be not a man but a machine that just pursuing a different strategy. The Hom Bot moves rather like a man would cleanse; However, a person can immediately evaluate the results, and if necessary go over it once more - and this is the drawback of the machine. The volume and cleaning time is not so important to me personally, I want to see a clean apartment in the morning easy. By that I do not want to say that the Hom Bot is really bad - but it's better and cheaper. For me and my circumstances Roomba 780 is therefore still the device of choice, even if I somehow regret from a technical perspective, the Hom Bot again takes up the journey home.
