Dyson’s big, heavy, complicated robot vacuum that never was
Introduced to the public way back in 2004, Dyson’s first robot vacuum never wheeled itself into retail. While it was apparently close enough to a finished product to pick up a sticker with a helpline number, the sheer number of sensors (over 70), and a total of 54 batteries was a problem. While it could detect stationary objects and living things it was too expensive to both produce or sell. As Dyson’s senior robot engineer, Mike Aldred, noted: “It did the job we intended… but it wasn’t the right product.” The decision was made to can the DC06, and the team decided to focus on a single (albeit complicated) sensor to guide its robot vacuums: 360-degree vision. And that’s where Dyson’s 360 Eye comes in. It’s a bit late, but from our early experiences with it, it sucks — In the good way. And if you’ve got a thing for yellow and millennial-gray plastic, a gallery of the rare (hefty) robot vacuum awaits below. Slideshow-332974
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