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The Homey and robot vacuum cleaners topic

PhuturistPhuturist Member
edited November 2016 in Devices
I thought I'd start a general topic about integration between Homey and robot vacuum cleaners. There are quite a lot of them on the market and in my quest of finding a model that fits my needs I'm having a hard time finding out which types are or will be supported by Homey. Most robot vacuum cleaners come with a smartphone app but the main advantage for integration with Homey is that you can schedule vacuum cleaning based on other sensors like motion/presence as well. So my aim for this topic is to discuss some interesting robot vacuum cleaners and their possibilities for integration with Homey.

Already supported models

There are a couple of robot vacuum cleaners that are already supported by Homey.

LG Hombot

Homey app: https://apps.athom.com/app/com.lg.hombot
Pro: open API, average price, can be extended with a mob
Cons: No one-stop-shop solution, low suction power, noisy, not the smartest

Roomba with Thinking Cleaner add-on

Homey app: https://apps.athom.com/app/com.thinkingcleaner
Pro: open API, Roomba generally have good reviews
Cons: works only on specific and mostly older Roomba models (500 and 600 series), not a one-stop-shop solution

IR supported vacuum cleaners

In theory all robot vacuum cleaners that support IR work with Homey as well.
Pro: Cheap models
Cons: Often not the best reviews, IR is an unreliable technology, the base station or even the vacuum cleaner has be in a straight line of sight of Homey.

Possibly supported models

Here are some models that have caught my own interest. If you see a model missing here, please post it in this topic.

Neato Botvac Connected

URL: https://neatorobotics.com/robot-vacuum/botvac-connected-series/
Pro: Cleans close to edges, performs well on all surfaces with powerfull suction
Cons: A bit noisy, long charge time
API: https://developers.neatorobotics.com/login / https://github.com/NeatoRobotics

iRobot Roomba 980

URL: https://store.irobot.com/default/roomba-vacuuming-robot-vacuum-irobot-roomba-980/R980020.html
Pro: Easy to maintain, performs well on all surfaces with powerfull suction
Cons: Expensive, noisy, long charge time
API: No open API but there is reversed engineered stuff like https://github.com/koalazak/dorita980

Dyson 360 Eye

URL: http://www.dyson360eye.com/
Pro: Easy to maintain, performs well on all surfaces with powerfull suction with cyclon technology, small footprint
Cons: Very expensive and not for sale in NL (yet), app needs more work, tall so cant get under furniture
API: No open API and nothing reversed engineered thusfar

Xiaomi Mi Robot

URL: http://www.gearbest.com/robot-vacuum/pp_440546.html
Pro: Big bang for buck, performs pretty well on all surfaces with powerfull suction, good battery
Cons: Not for sale outside China (yet), app needs more work and seems to be Chinese only
API: No open API (yet) and nothing reversed engineered thusfar
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Comments

  • MennoMenno Member
    edited November 2016
    Very nice article @Phuturist ;
    I bought the ThinkingCleaner for my IRobot 560 but sadly I must say this was my worst buy this year. With thinkingcleaner installed I don't manage to do a full run (from start till docking) I sent an email message to the company and haven't had a response So be careful. Now I using my IRobot without the module and 100% succes rate to bad I can't use it with homey now snik. Problem is NOT homey related tried browser and Iphone App.


    <<Update 21/11/16 >> Great news after my post yesterday I installed the thinkingcleaner module again I noticed on iphone app there was a firmware update (old 1.0.94 new 1.0.103). after installing firmaware I managed to do a full clean job (first one with module installed). I can even use the steering from iPhone. One thing I did notice is that after being on the dockingstation it told me it was fully loaded after 2 minutes don't think it is loading that fast (after running for more then hour) think this have to do that I'm using different battery then default (4500 mAh).
  • DaneeDeKruyffDaneeDeKruyff Member
    edited November 2016
    Hmm that's strange, I'm extremely happy with my Thinking Cleaner on my Roomba 650, and also their support. The current models are grey and I wanted a black one so I sent them an email and they responded swiftly and were able to provide me with a black one.

    The only thing I'm not to happy with is the device card in the homey app, having a scroll movement to activate device functions in the same direction as the overal scroll for the page is pretty stupid, you don't want to know how many times 'Harry' started when scrolling in the app....
  • Please also Note that the LG hombot is not out of the box working, there is quite a procedure and a wifi stick required to make it work.
  • PhuturistPhuturist Member
    edited November 2016
    jorden said:
    Please also Note that the LG hombot is not out of the box working, there is quite a procedure and a wifi stick required to make it work.
    Good to know, I have added it to the openingspost as a con.

    I really like the Xiaomi Mi Robot but there is really no information available about it's API and if the app will be available in English as well.
  • The xiaomi works great, latest app update now shows movement real time. I'm really satisfied with it, navigates very efficiently, but struggles a bit on my long haired rugs. If only they would release an API, that would be great..  :-)
  • msmitsmsmits Member
    edited November 2016
    ...

    The only thing I'm not to happy with is the device card in the homey app, having a scroll movement to activate device functions in the same direction as the overal scroll for the page is pretty stupid, you don't want to know how many times 'Harry' started when scrolling in the app....
    Hahahaha exact same issue here with "Betty"
  • @DaneeDeKruyff good to hear it's working for you. Maybe it's because I replaced the battery with a stronger one not IRobot original. But will try to contact them again and hopefully they can and will help me this time. Everybody deserves a second chance.
  • <<Update>> Great news after my post yesterday I installed the thinkingcleaner module again I noticed on iphone app there was a firmware update (old 1.0.94 new 1.0.103). after installing firmaware I managed to do a full clean job (first one with module installed). I can even use the steering from iPhone. One thing I did notice is that after being on the dockingstation it told me it was fully loaded after 2 minutes don't think it is loading that fast (after running for more then hour) think this have to do that I'm using different battery then default (4500 mAh).
  • Good topic, i was searching for a dustbuster for christmas as well.
  • keverjeroenkeverjeroen Member
    edited November 2016
    Does anyone have a solution for the Roomba 700 series? I have a 780, and it would be great to control it via Homey. Thinking Cleaner only had a DIY option for the 700 series, but that's €25,- extra on top of the €99,- plus I have to cut in my Roomba..
  • How is the Roomba 700 controlled? Is it a RF or IR?
  • How is the Roomba 700 controlled? Is it a RF or IR?
    I tought only IR, but now I Google I see Roomba sels a commando station to control the 780 via RF..  So I guess it has some kind of RF, on some webpages I read that they use(d) Zigbee..
  • PhuturistPhuturist Member
    edited November 2016
    I really like the Xiaomi Mi Robot but there seems to be really no information about an API at all. I'm probably gonna take my chances and see if I can reverse engineer the app .. Hoping for a good black Friday deal.

    :sweat:
  • I had a quick look at the Xiaomi Mi Robot. Only 1 side brush where others have 2. I cannot find any spec's on the amount of noise it makes.
    Especially the noise is very important to me. This was the major point for me to buy the LG Hombot, at that time the was no quieter competitor. Not sure at the moment, but at that time other had up to 10dB more noise... 10 dB more is a lot.
  • RuudvB said:
    I had a quick look at the Xiaomi Mi Robot. Only 1 side brush where others have 2. I cannot find any spec's on the amount of noise it makes.
    Especially the noise is very important to me. This was the major point for me to buy the LG Hombot, at that time the was no quieter competitor. Not sure at the moment, but at that time other had up to 10dB more noise... 10 dB more is a lot.
    Taken from an independent review: "the sound produced is relatively high, reaching 68-70 db in Power mode, 64 db in Standard mode and 61 db in Quiet mode." So if low noise levels is a selling point that might be a deal breaker. For me it's not, I'm planning to schedule cleaning when I'm away from home (isnt that one of the perks of being able to automate it).

    About the one brush, in various tests the Xiaomi comes out pretty good cleaning wise but @MarkSwift already mentioned on Slack it has trouble cleaning the edges.

    I guess there has to be a trade off somewhere considering the price which is half of the Neato Botvac Connected and a third of the Roomba 980 which have similar features. But I'm gonna see for myself how it performs, I have bought one yesterday. I'll post my findings here once it finally arrives from China.

    When it does I'm gonna try and reverse engineer the API so I can control it with Homey but chances are I'm not gonna be able to pull that off as I have never done that before.
  • I only have experiences with the LG Hombot, but the sound level is okay. It's more quiet than a normal vacuum cleaner, and either way I don't want any of them to go through the rooms when I am at home ;)
  • Does anyone have a new user experience for vacuum cleaners connected to homey?

    I'm still not sure about which one to buy..


  • iwaniwan Member
    edited January 2017
    Hello. I just installed the roomba (5 series) with a thinking cleaner plate on top of it. 
    The basic stuff is working, i just checked. So i think is has to work in a flow also.
  • MennoMenno Member
    edited January 2017
    Also having a roomba (560) very happy with it (I have it since 07/2009). Also bought the thinking cleaner plate arround 100 euro (last year) had some problems in the beginning but now it's working okay for some while.

    So I'm not sure the irobot is still the best (performance + price) but for me it's working for a very long time :smile:

    In the 7,5 year I had to:
    Replace battery, twice ordered a maintenance kit + 1x return because problem after 1,5 year (comes with 2 year guarantee standard)

    But if I had to buy a cleaner now I would look for a bit smarter one and with remote controle already build in (and compatible with homey of course)
  • I ended up buying the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner and I have made an app for it. The app wont be added to the Homey app store as it requires some complex steps to get working (which are described together with the sources). 

    For reference, see this topic for further information: https://forum.athom.com/discussion/2600/app-xiaomi-mi-robot-vacuum-cleaner

    About the robot itself. I think the vacuum cleaner is pretty awesome. It does a great job in cleaning our leaving room, everytime there is stuff and dust in there. And even though the house looks already clean, once it's done it's job I can still tell. It cleans our hard wooden floor and a rug.  It's a bit noisy (I use the powermode) but the whole idea is to let it work when you are not there (hence my need for integration with Homey).

    The functionality of the Mi Home app is great, with the mapping feature and the spot cleaning which has recently been introduced. The app is still mostly in Chinese but if you know your way around Android and you are rooted  you can replace the .apk with a translated one (there are also non-rooted methods but have not looked into them). But even in Chinese it's still OK as it uses icons.

    Probably most impressive of this all, it does the same or a better job for half or even a third of the price of it's direct competitors like the Neato Botac Connected and Roomba 980.


  • @Phuturist
    where did you end up buying the Xiaomi Mi robot? 
  • aloft said:
    @Phuturist
    where did you end up buying the Xiaomi Mi robot? 
    I'm also curious and what about warranty?

    Thanks Menno, phuturist and iwan for your opinion.
  • I bought it at Aliexpress: https://m.nl.aliexpress.com/item/32742575249.html

    Got lucky and didn't have to pay any taxes. Warranty is a risk I'm taking. My little experience with having to use this with Aliexpress sellers is positive though. Communication and having to send stuff back is just a little more difficult. But they seem to be very helpful and willing to fix the problem.
  • Got the Medion MD 16192 last black friday. (99 euro's)
    Work great, runs on wood floor and carpet perfect, if it gets stuck it try to reverse or stops and waits for u to help.
    Nothing got broken (yet). 
    Finds its home when a recharge is needed, runs for aprox 2 hours
    Its controlled by infrared (using the harmony hub instead of homey's ir)
    Thinking about buying a second one for upstairs.
  • Hi, Is this something that could be working with Homey? Anyone got one to share their experiences?
    https://www.banggood.com/BlitzWolf-BW-XRC600-Ultrasonic-Smart-Robot-Vacuum-Cleaner-with-1200pa-3350mAH-UV-APP-Wifi-Control-p-1078757.html?rmmds=detail-left-hotproducts
     
    The price is nice and it is wifi.

    greetings,
    Aaron
  • Aaron said:
    Hi, Is this something that could be working with Homey? Anyone got one to share their experiences?
    https://www.banggood.com/BlitzWolf-BW-XRC600-Ultrasonic-Smart-Robot-Vacuum-Cleaner-with-1200pa-3350mAH-UV-APP-Wifi-Control-p-1078757.html?rmmds=detail-left-hotproducts
     
    The price is nice and it is wifi.

    greetings,
    Aaron
    You would have to figure out if it has an API which would allow to control the robot directly. If so someone would have to write an a Homey app for it.
  • Hi @Phuturist ,
    I will write them an email, lets hope they do have an API. I wil see if I can find some reviews on it to.

    greetings,
    Aaron
  • A new Xiaomi Mi Robot is coming which has mopping capabilities. Here is a lousy video and some specs that went trough Google translate. Looks pretty cool though. Especially predefined zone cleaning is something I miss in the current robot.

    Video: 

    Highlights

    Sweep and mopping function

    - Xiaomi Mi robot vacuum cleaner 2 equipped with sweep and mopping function.
    - With the plant bionics system, its' filter can absorb water automatically and keep enough water content.
    - Mop and water tank fit tightly.
    - The mop cloth is as wide as the main brush. Sweep first and then mopping, cleaning the floor effectively.
    - And it is very convenient to install and remove the tank.

    Area cleaning function

    -This is another new function of Mi robot cleaner 2. Download the Mijia APP, the cleaning robot has mastered the whole picture of the home environment, you can customize the cleaning location on the map, then the vacuum will cleaning the location that you specified.
    - Compared with the last generation, the Mi robot cleaner 2 has noise reduction design. It comes with silenced cotton which makes it quieter when it is working.

    Cleaning performance improved

    - The maximum suction of Mi robot cleaner 2 increased from 1800Pa upgrade to 2000Pa to improve cleaning efficiency.
    - It improves the ability to avoid obstacles by optimizing its' wheel suspension system.
    - The barrier height is increased from 1.5cm to 2.0cm.
    - The capacity of the dust box increased from 0.42L to 0.48L.
    - It increased the automatic booster function.After opening this function on the Mijia APP it will automatically recognize the carpet, clean the carpet with its' maximum suction.
    - Sensor upgrade
    - Xiaomi vacuum cleaner 2 equipped with a high-precision LDS sensor. It will scan the room at 5 x 360 degrees per second.
    - There is an omnidirectional pressure sensor above the LDS sensor. Its' role is to induce a slight collision and to prevent the vacuum cleaner into the low sofa.
    - Increased soft buffer crash to protect the furniture.
    - With the wall sensor, this sensor makes the cleaner robot always keep a distance of about 10mm from the wall when it is working.Besides.
    - Mi robot cleaner 2 using a new infrared chargeback technology which makes the recharge more efficient.

    Specification / Product details

    Mi robot cleaner
    Battery: 14.4V / 5200mAh lithium battery
    Wireless connection: Wi-Fi smart fast link
    Rated voltage: 14.4V
    Rated power: 58W
    Working time: 2.5H
    Suction: 2000Pa
    Charging Dock
    Power: 42W
    Input Voltage: 100~240V
    Output: 20V - 1.8V
    Frequency: 50/60 Hz
    Dimension: 136.5 x 130 x 98 mm
    Dimension & Weight Producct Weight: about 3.5kg
    Prodcut Dimension: 353 x 350 x 96.5 mm
    Package content
    1 x Mi robot cleaner 2
    1 x Charging Dock
    1 x Power Cable
    1 x Water Tank
    1 x Mop"

  • just for the record, i own an iRobot Roomba 960, and its working perfectly with the 980 app. it only vacuums when nobody is home, and if we where home the whole day, it will vacuum at night. 

    nice new feature for the app would be the container status, like, flash the screensaver of Homey when te container is full so  i am reminded to emtpy it. 

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