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Comment by qwerty456127 | Hacker News Reader

We need smart vacuum robots which can (at least optionally) be fully functional without connectong to the Internet.

Valetudo[0] exists, however it requires flashing firmware, and partial disassembly depending on the model. However, the methods to gain root are sometimes patched so new exploits are necessary.

[0]: https://valetudo.cloud/

That's the worst project naming ever. Will my vacuum get on steroids and coke and then take me down and proceed to headbutt me until my corner throws the towel? Because that's what Vale Tudo as a project name makes me imagine. Or perhaps "anything goes" means that the robot can do anything it wants, like taking pictures and uploading it to facebook :)

Is that Portuguese? Valetudo is also Latin for health.

Neato used to make them; then around the time Vorwerk purchased they’ve only sold cloud only versions.

I own both types and I found the cloud version to be less reliable and less convenient.

Roomba used to make them! I have one - how much cleaner would my floors be with AI?

I'll tell you.

None. None more cleaner.

Not sure if they've become worse since mine but I have a D7 Neato that can connect to the cloud but works just fine without connecting it, learns the room without any outside connection.

I have the lowest end Roomba purchased in 2019 that I block from internet access at my router. I can’t use the app but there’s a button on the vacuum I can use to start it. Works enough for me shrug.

Lately, my app says "Can't connect right now". "right now" can be described as months. So, the big button has been getting used a lot. The only thing about not using the app, is that was the only way I could be sure it got to the rooms I thought it did. The roomba is basically an idiot that just finds its way literally by bouncing off of things. There are times I've seen it clean the same area multiple times while never going to a different room at all in the same cleaning cycle. So by viewing the map, I can know if I need to pick it up and lock it in the room it missed.

The fact that it needs an internet connection for that is maddening.

I have a non-robotic, modern battery vacuum. It has some extra features you can activate by connecting to an app. The one I remember is that it can estimate the quantity of dirt you vacuumed which sounds interesting, though obviously not vital to vacuuming.

Unfortunately, I would never consider connecting the app for fear of what info it might be phoning home with (even if it's just my vacuuming habits). It's too bad that "connected" is basically synonymous with stealing personal information. There are lots of cool non-spying things internet connected stuff can do, but companies have ruined it by using them mainly for bad.

I'm glad that IoT didn't catch fire and take off. All those IoT devices take data of their users and who knows where they end up.

Apparently, at Facebook

Why? Then our dear overlords can't map our homes in millimeter resolution in order to Better Serve Us.

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