I have to make it clean?

Helldiver · Joined: 21 Mar 2005 Posts: 2

In regards to the Discovery or Disc. SE:

As the subject says, and noting by the buttons shown on several images, as well as the coment from Laura on how it has no Self-automation...

I have to press a button to make it go clean? (Either with the remote or the button onboard the unit?)

So pretty much each time I want it to clean my studio, -I- have to go up to the unit and press "Start" and off it goes?

I was thinking about purchasing one, but if it has no self-automation, it sort of defeats the purpose. The only reason I wanted to purchase the device was due to my scheduling difficulties and thought it could self activate on some sort of schedule while I was away.

I read on here "I like the device and how when I get home from work the carpet/floor looks clean" etc... How is this so? Do such customers press the "start" button just before they leave?

So how does the thing kick off?
1- Does it automatically clean each time it fully charges?
2- Charges up, cleans, goes back to recharge,.. goes out to clean, comes
back continuosly?
3- Or do I have to kneel down, hit Start, and off it goes?

Bakat · Guest

Before I leave in the morning for work; I make sure that the floor is picked up (no loose kid socks etc), I get the Roomba, set it in the center of the floor, push one button and leave.

At the end of the week my floor is clean and I'm not lugging the big vaccuum around...

jonvall · Guest Joined: 06 Sep 2004 Posts: 49

When you first get the Roomba home all you have to do is open the box and set the it on the floor. The Roomba will set up the Home Base Unit, the Virtual Wall Units, charge itself and it's ready to go. You don't even have to empty the dust bin...it does that itself too!
All you have to do is buy the Roomba, open the box and that's the last thing you'll ever have to do!
Good Luck!

Helldiver · Guest Joined: 21 Mar 2005 Posts: 2

Thank Bakat

I see now. So pretty much each time I need it to clean I need to pick it up set it down and Hit start. I thought it was like the "Trilobite". I believe the new version has a scheduling menu.

Anyhow, thanks for the replies.
regards!
Helldiver

sassy · Guest

I believe the Trilobite cost over $1500 while the roomba cost about $250. I can push a "clean" buttom on a remote for $1250.

Guest · Guest

Helldiver wrote: In regards to the Discovery or Disc. SE:

I read on here "I like the device and how when I get home from work the carpet/floor looks clean" etc... How is this so? Do such customers press the "start" button just before they leave?

This was 2nd on my list of concerns with regards to self-automation. My first was that it would find the base when done and know how to park and charge itself. Unfortunately the 2nd most important feature that eluded me was its ability to start itself. I decided before I even bought it that this feature would be best achieved by my computer as it is inconceivable that irobot could put a smart scheduler into the unit’s base at this time complete with display and clock at an affordable price. I’m sure this is coming but if you are a home automation enthusiast then a simple RF/IR device like those found at X10 or Smarthome can send the appropriate IR signal to the unit from your computer. Just remember if any electronic appliance comes with an IR interface (remote control) you now have the ability to control that device intelligently from your home PC if certain conditions are right. A door is open…the phone is off the hook…the TV is on…it’s dusk/it’s dawn…it’s 12:03PM…it’s been exactly 10 hours and 15 seconds since Roomba’s last cleaning cycle…you name it you can do it. I currently use Homeseer to complete simple tasks like monitor activity in a room, control my lights and appliances, video cameras and yes..control my Roomba. If you want Homeseer even comes with a Web or voice activated interface via phone or microphone. Now the only trick is to get the unit to go home upon my entry into the room or when I turn the TV on or pickup up the phone.

Am I missing something or is there a way to tell the Roomba to go home from the remote control? Having it pause or power down isn’t enough. I’m wondering if there are hidden IR commands that were not implemented in the rudimentary remote that comes with the discovery.

The way it is now all I can do is pause it when the phone rings or the TV is on and then unpause it when no activity has been detected in the room for a preset period of time or I'm off the phone. I would much rather have the computer tell it to discontinue and return home until conditions are right for it to pickup and continue again.

roomba231 · Guest Joined: 29 Apr 2005 Posts: 3

I have to 2 SE Roomba's 1 for each floor with docking stations.
I have 5 Virtual Wall Units. They have been modified to accept a momentary relay closure to simulate pressing of the power button. They are also modified to accept a 3v dc charger so no more batteries. A timer triggers the Virtual Wall Units at the appropriate time to block rooms.

The first floor has a living room -Area1 and a den -Area2.
The second floor has 3 bedrooms Area 3 Area 4 Area 5

Roomba schedule:

!st Floor
The cleaning cleaning times are 12:00 am for area1 and 5:00am am for area 2
Roomba is activated with a infrared remote timer to start its cleaning at the 2 above times and return to it base for recharging between cleanings. The 2 virtual wall units for the first floor are turned on for the appropriate rooms. When cleaning area1 The virtual wall unit is turned on automatically for area 2 so that Roomba will not wander into that area so it can concentrate on cleaning only area 1. At 5:00 am Roomba cleans area 2 and area 1 virual wall is turned on automatically at 5:00 so it stays in area 2 to clean the den only.

2nd Floor
I use the same approach for the second floor. There are 3 bedrooms each have there own virtual wall at each doorway. And at the appropriate times roomba is activated to clean with the infrared timer and the appropriate Virtual walls are turned on so that only one room is cleaned at a time. That means that 2 out of the 3 virtual walls are turned on to block 2 rooms during each cleaning cycle.

This is done every day. My home stays clean all the time. I found that this cleans my house the best by letting it clean one area at a time for each cleaning cycle.

gariadea · Guest Joined: 23 Nov 2005 Posts: 148

Quote: I believe the new version has a scheduling menu.
Helldiver, you can get a Scheduler Remote for your Discovery so you can schedule your remote. It will also upgrade the software of your Discovery if it is an older model...$60 retail.
Gariadea

ichiban_jay · Guest Joined: 28 Nov 2005 Posts: 36

jonvall wrote: When you first get the Roomba home all you have to do is open the box and set the it on the floor. The Roomba will set up the Home Base Unit, the Virtual Wall Units, charge itself and it's ready to go. You don't even have to empty the dust bin...it does that itself too!
All you have to do is buy the Roomba, open the box and that's the last thing you'll ever have to do!
Good Luck!

Wat? :? empties it's own dust bin? Yeah... right...

As for the original question:
1. The discovery does not have scheduling features out of the box, you'll need to buy either the scheduler remote/virtual wall pack or buy a Roomba Scheduler. However, the discovery does come with a remote, so you don't have to bend down to hit it's buttons.

Once the roomba is finished cleaning as many rooms as it can (get's to every room in my 1500 square foot home) it will find it's way back to the charger. The charger emits a infrared signal seen up to 7 feet away that the roomba will lock onto and dock when it feels it has done a good enough job. I found the robot does seem to have some sort of unseen memory as it reaches all my rooms in a pretty routine route (through very random looking bounces, but the robot has a motorola processor that does 68,000 calculations a second).

I must stress... the roombas DO NOT empty their waste canisters by themselves, you'll need to clean out the canister pretty much each time it runs since it get's so much more stuff off the ground.

The remote that comes with the roomba discovery cannot tell the roomba to return to it's base station. The scheduling remote can (weird but true). Well, partially true, the scheduling remote has a button combo that initiates docking sequences while the regular remote does not. But if you want to dock it with the regular remote, all you do is drive the roomba within 7 feet of the station and it will self-initiate docking sequences. To program your roomba for cleaning times with the scheduling remote, you program the remote with the times you want it to run at. Then you beam the info to the roomba and scheduling virtual walls. The remote holds all the powa! :)

flmgrip · Guest Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Posts: 27

if you can't be bothered to press start before you leave your home just get a maid.