North Wiltshire-based Dyson has unveiled its latest innovative appliance aimed at revolutionising household chores – a powerful robot vacuum cleaner that works even when its owner isn’t home.
Launched to great fanfare in Tokyo yesterday, and using technology developed at Dyson’s world-beating Malmesbury research and development centre, the 360 Eye can be controlled via a smart phone, meaning it can do the vacuuming while the humans in the house are at work or out enjoying themselves. 
While other robot vacuum cleaners are already available – and Dyson itself tried unsuccessfully to enter the market in 2001 – inventor James Dyson said the 360 Eye’s rivals were “gimmicks”. His new product, he said, was an intelligent robot that is finally capable of cleaning properly, with more suction power than any other robot vacuum cleaner on the market.
A team of more than 200 boffins spent 16 years and £28m developing the leading-edge technology in the 360 Eye. The firm has invested a further £150m developing a digital motor to power the appliance.
In total, the technology in the 360 Eye is covered by more than 420 patents and patent applications worldwide, including those relating to its Dyson digital motor V2.
James Dyson, whose pioneering bagless vacuum cleaners have changed the way many millions of people clean their homes, said: “Most robotic vacuum cleaners don’t see their environment, have little suction, and don’t clean properly.
“They are gimmicks. We’ve been developing a unique 360° vision system that lets our robot see where it is, where it has been, and where it is yet to clean. Vision, combined with our high-speed digital motor and cyclone technology, is the key to achieving a high performing robot vacuum – a genuine labour saving device.”
Dyson said the 360-degree vision system lets the machine see all around the room at once so that it knows where it is and where it is yet to clean, while its digital motor generates powerful suction and patented Dyson cyclones separate the smallest particles of dust and dirt from the airflow.
A full-width brush bar gives maximum cleaning coverage and its continuous tank tracks maintain its speed and direction across all floor types.
The Dyson 360 Eye will go on sale in Japan next spring with the rest of the world to follow later in the year.
