XV-11
Also known as Neato XV-11
The first consumer robot vacuum with a spinning laser scanner, which let it map a room and clean in straight overlapping rows.
| Maker | Neato Robotics |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| First shown | 2010 |
| Status | Discontinued |
| Actuation | Two drive wheels with a wide fixed brush in a D shaped body |
| Power | Rechargeable battery with a charging base |
| Sensors | Spinning laser distance scanner with bumper and cliff sensors |
| Autonomy | Laser SLAM mapping with systematic row coverage and resume after charging |
The XV-11 introduced a low cost spinning laser distance sensor to a household product, so the robot built a map instead of bouncing at random. Its D shaped body put a wide brush right at the front edge, and it cleaned in methodical rows before returning to base and resuming where it stopped. The laser module became a favourite of hobbyists and researchers who reused it on their own robots. Neato Robotics closed in 2023 after 18 years and its vacuums are discontinued.
Of note
- First consumer robot vacuum to navigate with a laser scanner
- Its inexpensive laser module was widely reused by robotics hobbyists
- Neato Robotics shut down in 2023 after 18 years