In the last 50 years, we have made huge technological advancements in a multitude of areas.
With the birth of the internet and the shift from electronic to digital products, many things in our lives keep getting easier, more connected, and “smarter”. We can schedule calendar events or stream music using voice-controlled digital assistants, put refrigerators in our kitchens that can send photos of the contents to remind us what we need while we’re at the grocery store, or wear watches that will read us our emails. The advancement of this so-called “smart technology” seems like it has seeped into every fabric of our society.
I am lucky enough to have received one of these smart inventions that make our lives easier. It began with cancelling plans for a long awaited trip to Jamaica this January. Knowing that I was disappointed, my awesome husband bought me (queue angels singing) the iRobot Roomba i7+ to cheer me up. And I have to tell you – it worked. This thing is amazing. Also, he knows me so well.
What was once a cumbersome manually controlled, motorized appliance has converged into a sleek, UFO looking, digitally controlled, motorized appliance. I have named it Rambo the Roomba because this thing is bad-ass and wipes out any piece of dirt that gets in its way. Equipped with a computer, linked to the internet, and controlled by an app on my smartphone, I can now vacuum my home from anywhere in the world. But that’s not all! This little piece of dream machine mapped my apartment.
Using the app, I was able to customize the map, name the rooms, and set “keep out” or “clean” zones. Is there an area Rambo gets stuck? Bam! Keep out zone. Are there places that get dirty more often? No problem! Clean zone. Using the map, I can send Rambo to whichever room I want on demand. And in case you thought it doesn’t get better, I assure you it does. I can set schedules for it to clean specific rooms, or the entire floor plan, at any time. And since I am notorious (according to my husband) for NEVER emptying the bin… when it docks, it empties it out for me. Eventually I will have to empty out the bin inside the dock, but that’s future Lisa’s problem.
“…not having to vacuum the floors multiple times a week so my long-haired cat’s fur-filled dust bunnies don’t take on a life of their own definitely frees up my time.”
I feel like a kid again with the coolest new toy, but playing with this toy is keeping this neat-freak’s home extra clean. The little girl who loved to tidy is secretly envious of the robot vacuum, but she had all the time in the world to clean. She’s an adult now. She has responsibilities and things to do. And as high as cleaning still ranks on my list of important things to do, not having to vacuum the floors multiple times a week so my long-haired cat’s fur-filled dust bunnies don’t take on a life of their own definitely frees up my time. Besides, I can still pull out the regular vacuum to do all the little nooks and crannies that Rambo can’t reach. But honestly, if there was a baby Roomba or even vacuuming arms that came out of Rambo and got those hard to reach places, I would probably never pull out my Dyson again.
Rambo the Roomba is just one example of how mechanization has not only advanced, but has converged with artificial intelligence to bring cleaning into the digital age. And, as we continue to improve our technologies and invent more smart appliances that make our lives easier, I can only hope that drone dusters are next on the agenda.
Lisa G Alford 