From Waltz to Samba to Roomba

I have always been fascinated by wonderful and truly useful creations, and am a firm believer that necessity has always been the mother of invention. From airplanes to automobiles, and from microwaves to computers, few are as revolutionary as my latest acquisition, the Roomba.

For those of you unfamiliar with this high end techno gizmo, it is a self-running vacuum cleaner that sits quietly in a corner, until it is time to go to work. At that point it automatically starts up, vacuums the entire main floor of my house and docks itself when the batteries need charging. In short it is probably only surpassed by the Nimbus 2000 when it comes to must have, technological appliances.

Whoever designed this appliance must have had me in mind. Vacuuming is something I don’t enjoy, but the constant dog hair on the floors has always bothered me. I have tried clipping the mutt and regular shampoo baths, but it seems it has an inbred desire to leave fine, light brown, undetectable hairs all over the hardwood floors.

The Roomba however, has put an end to all of my turmoil. Even Candy, the wonder dog knows it is there for the express purpose of eliminating her fur, because when Roomba starts, Candy barks. It is almost as if she knows it is there to pick up bits of her coat, which she sheds haphazardly throughout the house.

So, how does this modern marvel work, you ask? It is really quite simple. As I mentioned, it sits in a corner until it is time to work, based on a schedule which I have pre-set. When it starts it creates a pattern and cleans the entire main floor. I assume the next generation will climb stairs.

Once the Roomba is full it yells at you to empty it, and it continues with its sole task of purifying my house. I was amazed at what it picked up.

Not only is it effective, but the Roomba is extremely smart. It recognizes where it has been and develops an efficient pattern to clean my house. When the battery is running low it automatically returns to its docking station and recharges itself. How cool is that?

Now, as with any great invention, there are a few drawbacks. Small pieces of anything are considered food by Roomba, and it quickly devours whatever is in its path. I consider these treats for a job well done, however I do find I am picking up after myself more than before.

Cords from lights or phones should be off the floor, at least when Roomba is planning on going to work. I can see that territories have been established and the floor is hers. Of course I respect this, as long as she serves her purpose.

Unfortunately my dog still sees the robot as a threat and continues to bark at, what it considers an intruder. This, in time will cease, I’m sure. Lately though, I have become slightly concerned with some of the gadgets in my house. I have Nest cams that work with my Nest thermostat, the ultra-smart thermostat that sets my house temperature based on the outside temperature, if I am home or out, and my requirements. It communicates with the cams throughout my house, which send images to the cloud (even on a clear day). So why am I becoming concerned?

I am wondering if Roomba has teamed up with Nest and is plotting an overthrow of my house. Nest sees everything I do and controls my environment and Roomba is mobile. What if, one day I come home and the door is bolted. It is probably best not to think of such things right now, and enjoy the pleasure brought by the advances in technology. Hello, hello is anyone out there?