Anyone have any experience with the iRobot Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner? I'm thinking about getting one. If you don't know, it's a circular robot vacuum cleaner that vacuums rooms automatically, and returns to the charger itself! Its sensors keep it from bumping into walls and furniture or falling off staircases. When it finishes a room, it beeps and turns itself off. It comes with virtual walls, etc. Below are some pics.



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Time said it was one of the best inventions of 2002. The newer model I listed above has extra features. We have a couple of dogs and one remaining cat. They shed, plus we give the dogs rope bones to keep them occupied and it helps keep their teeth clean. So we always have animal hair and strings to deal with. This sounds like a Godsend. Hit the button on your way out of the door in the morning and come back to a clean floor.

I saw an article in Popular Science recently that reviewed 4 or 5 different ones out there, ranging from a few hundred $$$ to over $1k. The cheaper ones didn't stack up well. The more expensive ones were more effective, but not great. If you get one, let me know how it works for you.