| Industry | Robots |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| Headquarters | Newark, California |
| Products | Domestic robots |
| Employees | 25 (2009) |
| Website | www.neatorobotics.com |
Neato Robotics is a robotics company located in Newark, California.[1] Their product, the Neato XV-11 robotic vacuum cleaner, began selling in 2010 for $399.00. The company has around 25 employees, and in 2009 attracted $15 million in funding.[2]
Unlike the Roomba vacuum cleaner which goes randomly around a room, the Neato robot travels in straight paths with minimum of overlap, with the help of a laser range finder, which sweeps around in a full 360° circle,[3] and the SLAM algorithm which allows it to map the room being vacuumed while it is completing its task.[4] The XV-11 is able to locate its charger and charge itself when running out of energy, and has sensors which prevent it from falling off stairs.[2] In case the robot is used in a house larger than what it can cover with one battery charge, the robot is able to continue cleaning after recharging its batteries at the exact spot, where it left off the previous session.
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Neato Robotics currently has three models on the market: the original XV-11 (green), the European XV-15 and the XV-12, sold only at Target (white). Despite the different model names and colors, all three robots are identical (except the plug at the end of the power cord that varies depending the market).
Neato XV robots support a user upgradeable firmware, that allows the company to correct problems and improve efficiency of the products without recalling and repairing them at a central location. The latest available firmware has version number 2.6 and it brings spot cleaning mode to the robot. Although the firmware is compatible with all three models, all XV-15 and XV-12 models are shipped with this or newer firmware