ECOVACS HOME 4+

It’s always difficult to know how much to spend on a robot cleaner. We purchased an N8 at a discount price. Our first impressions are good. There should be a tablet version of the app (using iPhone/iPad) and not just a phone version. The basic functionality is there however it is not refined and could do with an overhaul by an experienced interface designer and graphic artist. The app is a bit functionally clunky which sort of matches the robot performance. There are simple things like the robot tracks which show as cleaning progresses are lost on the app if the screen goes into lock. If you expand an area of the map to see what is going on a bit better the map automatically contracts the map every few seconds - annoying!
Occasionally on startup the robot has decided it’s lost and wants to remap. Wait and it seems to find its map. I don’t know if this relates to where/how the map is stored. It should be kept in the robot. It maybe that the N8 has very limited storage and compute power and some of the failings are related to that. Also there appears to be more functionality for higher end robots. I do wonder if it is wise to try to make one app to cover a whole range of different robots. It might be better to have separate apps for similar specked robot families like an N8 family, an N9 family etc. That way older robots can be left with stable software rather than trying to insert new functions for new robots in an old frame work.

The Ecovac has made life so much easier however I am having a few glitches. I mapped the downstairs rooms as per instructions but 6 months later it is doing its own thing every time it’s activated. Eg. Runs into walls that have not moved like its never seen them before, &/or completely misses spots. It’s not always the same spot missed, so it’s usually cleaned up the next activation, hence its not a big issue more an annoyance. I have also adjusted the volume several times but it doesn’t always apply it. Eg. I turn the volume down and it works, two days later the activating voice is loud again but by the time it’s finished and returning to charge, the voice is quiet again. Again more of an annoyance than a problem. Overall though 4/5 stars as it works so well that it means I don’t have to do it, so for that alone I’m grateful.

These deebots were sold out at Aldi, so I went to another Aldi to get one, and I felt lucky. Now I don’t. I switched off my deebot. The dock was slightly moved, not more than 10cm. I switched everything on to do a vacuum round. It could not relocate. I did what it said to put the deebot back on the dock for it to restore the map. It restored the map, but could not relocate again. Twice not been able to relocate mean throwing away the map, which took me a whole afternoon to make of our house. I was disappointed.
However after contacting the help service and getting some tips I was still not able to reload the map.
I eventually decided to make a map of each separate room. So I would at least not lose everything.
I started with the bedroom. For this I had to move the docking to another room and spot. I switched the thing on and expected to start the whole procedure over again. But to my great surprise it recognised the map! This seemed a miracle to me. So I simply could use my map now but operate the dock from another area in the house. It is not logical, but alas it works! So yeah, the mapping is fiddly, for the rest it works well, good vacuuming. You have to be a bit patient, it pays off I guess.