The Tesla of vacuum cleaners launches its creations in Japan because Japanese consumers get excited about household robotics, Dyson CEO Max Conze said. Attention vacuum connoisseurs: Dyson is bringing its robotic vacuum, the 360 Eye, to the U.S. by next summer, testing how ready Americans are to give up their old vacuum cleaners. The 360 Eye already debuted in Dyson’s flagship stores in Japan last month. The Tesla of vacuum cleaners – high-tech and expensive – launches its creations in Japan because Japanese consumers get excited about household robotics, Dyson CEO Max Conze said. “You’ve got to have a mission in life,” Mr. Conze says. Apparently Americans are less excited about household robotics than the Japanese. Robotic devices are slowly taking over some household chores, from window cleaning to lawn mowing. But for vacuums, Dyson and others have struggled to convince consumers that a clunky upright machine isn’t the best tool for the job. The Eye 360 resembles iRobot’s Roomba, which launched in 2002 and became the first robot many people considered bringing into the home.

Yet even the Roomba is still a niche product. Dyson’s last effort to bring a robotic vacuum with intelligent navigation to market didn’t get out of the starting gate. aeg electrolux vacuum cleaner filterA decade ago the company announced the DC06, but the model never went on sale because Dyson struggled to bring down the cost and weight. vacuum cleaners luxBut this time Mr. Conze says it is for real.gravel vacuum cleaner use The 360 Eye is equipped with tank treads to give it traction, cameras to help it navigate, a lithium-ion battery and one of Dyson’s digital vacuum motors. In Japan, the 360 Eye sells for $1,200; the company has not yet determined what it will charge in the U.S. when it launches in the spring or summer, Mr. Conze says.

Although the V6 Absolute cordless model is popular in Japan, the company’s challenge has been convincing Americans they can ditch their upright models for a svelte sucker that hangs on the wall. To begin its cleaning tour of a room, the 360 Eye takes a picture of its base station, and then moves to where it approximates is the center of the room. As it putters forward, it takes 30 frames a second from the 360-degree camera, creating a map of the room. It then moves outward in a spiral. If cats like to ride the 360 Eye the way they ride the Roomba, they may get quite dizzy. It doesn’t hurt that the robotic cleaner is cute. “It is quite emotive I think, it almost has a nose,” Mr. Conze said. Dyson also created a cordless vacuum, the V6 Absolute. Although the cordless model is popular in Japan, the company’s challenge has been convincing Americans they can ditch their upright models for a svelte sucker that hangs on the wall. “It looks like a light saber.

They don’t realize it has the same suckage as the upright vacuum,” Mr. Conze says. Though technically its suckage isn’t quite as strong – 100 air watts for the V6 Absolute, compared with 128 air watts for the company’s current upright models.Whether you just like the idea of home automation, or you physically can't do the same level of cleaning anymore, a robot vacuum is there to help you pick up. And while the Roomba name is nearly synonymous with robot vacuums, there's a wider variety than you might think, which can make picking the one that's right for you that much harder. Luckily, we make sure to put every robot vacuum that comes into our labs through their paces in a grueling test of their navigation, ability to clean, and ease of use. When the dust finally settles (in the vacuums, of course) our experts examine the results to determine which are the best of the best. If you want the full scoop on each bot, just click through to read its full review. Otherwise, here's a look at which robot vacuums are the best on the market today.

Updated July 27, 2016 1 Neato Botvac Connected The Neato Botvac Connected has both brains and brawn. In addition to a navigation system that lets it find dirt, and powerful brushes that clean it up, the Connected can be controlled remotely via an app for your smartphone. This app can set cleaning schedules and even directly control the unit. All in all, the Neato Botvac Connected presents high-end technology in a relatively affordable package. Read Our Review Where to Buy Amazon $619.99 Home Depot $699.00 Best Buy $699.99 Walmart $699.99 2 Neato Botvac 80 The Neato Botvac 80 is one of the few vacuums capable of acing our pet hair tests and it can navigate from bare floors to tricky high-pile carpet in a single bound. The chassis design is deliberately retro, but evokes images of what the future could have been. If you're into that, and you've got pet hair problems, save yourself hundreds of dollars and countless hours and send out the Botvac everyday to stem the tide. Read Our Review Where to Buy Amazon 3 LG Hom-Bot VR65502LV The LG VR65502LV Hom-Bot is the electronics giant's first offering in the U.S.

It features dual-camera technology and can memorize obstacles in a room. It looks good and does a great job cleaning, and even lets users customize its cleaning pattern. However, it lacks any virtual barriers to keep it from wandering into rooms that should be off-limits. That's a serious omission for a $749 robot vacuum. Read Our Review Where to Buy Amazon $599.00 4 iRobot Roomba 980 The iRobot Roomba 980 is the new flagship model from the pioneering home robotics company. It has the battery life and navigation programming to zip from room to room with ease, but it also adds WiFi connectivity and multi-room cleaning. No robot vacuum is perfect—and this one had some trouble with dirt pickup. But if you have a whole floor to clean and the money to spend, it's worth a look. Read Our Review Where to Buy Amazon $845.99 Walmart $899.99 5 Dyson 360 Eye The 360 Eye is Dyson's first robot vacuum. Like larger Dyson cleaners, it has a full-size brush head and a compact motor for improved suction, and it's packed with tech.