If you’ve ever watched Bewitched, that classic TV show from the ’60s about Samantha the blond-haired witch and her hapless husband Darrin, you may well recall Samantha’s magical ability to get household appliances to do their work all by themselves. Well today, even mere mortals might soon find themselves in the same position.
James Dyson, founder of Dyson Appliances, a vacuum kingdom in Wiltshire, England, has long been a pioneer in integrating technology and design into his world-famous vacuum cleaners. With its trademarked Dual Cyclone technology, Dyson has sucked up over one-third of the U.K. vacuum market and has given Hoover a run for its money both in the United Kingdom and abroad.
Now Dyson is ready to offer a robot vacuum cleaner, which uses three onboard computers and 50 sensors to sense where it is and navigate around obstacles such as furniture and the family dog, sucking up dirt and dust all the while – without human intervention.
Dyson hopes to make the vacuum widely available, but the price tag might prove to be a hurdle: The vacuum, which is still undergoing trials, will sell for about US$3,700. On the other hand, for those who have always dreamed of relaxing while the house cleans itself, it may be well worth the price.