-----Original Message-----
Message: 11
Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2019 19:04:42 +0000
From: "Kraus, Erin M." <[email protected]>
Subject: [Consdistlist] Robot vacuums for storage areas
Hi everyone,
Has anyone used robot vacuums in collection storage areas?.....
Thank you,
Erin Kraus
Senior Conservator
The State Historical Society of Missouri
-----Reply-----
Hello Erin,
I was thinking about your post over the weekend and think it's a really
great idea for the reasons you mentioned. I have had a Roomba in the past at my
home and it does do a good job but could have some potential disadvantages when
used with collections storage.
1) This can vary by make/model but there is often a learning period where the
unit figures out the layout of the area to be cleaned. Initially one would need
to check on the unit as they can get 'lost' and have their battery die before
finishing or returning to their charging base. This would be a short term thing.
2) To piggy back on the previous point. Collections storage typically doesn't
change much layout wise but any changes will throw the unit off until it
relearns. This is probably more of a concern if you have moveable shelving.
3) Depending on your shelving height and design as well as the height of the
unit itself it may or may not be able to clean underneath if that is accessible.
4) Sticky traps could be wrecked/stuck to the unit/moved or collection items
damaged if they are close enough to the floor. Most of these units gently bump
into or run along side of obstacles. Many also have an edge/corner brush that
sticks out of the unit that is meant to be pressed into the cracks along
baseboards. You might need to move traps to the other sides of doors or other
locations in your storage. If there are any items stored on or near the floor
they may need to be moved or protected.
5) You would likely want to empty the collection bin on the unit often or every
time you have the unit scheduled to run as you may not notice pests that were
collected by the cleaning otherwise. They could potentially crawl back out of
the unit as well.
6) Less accessing of the space could mean that an issue, be it environmental, a
leak, or pests, could go unnoticed longer. However, if you have a regular
monitoring schedule and basic alarms this wouldn't be a real issue.
7) Uneven floor surfaces can stop the unit or get it stuck. Small bumps or
thresholds aren't an issue but larger ones could be.
After saying all that I think the potential advantages would ultimately
outweigh the disadvantages. Many of the noted items above could be relatively
easily remedied or may not be a concern depending on your circumstances.
It has been a few years since I've looked at robotic vacuums so things
may have changed but keep in mind not all units are created equal. Mainly there
are/were multiple types of these units. Some are 'dumb' units and just bounce
around forever, these are also the cheapest and don't work that well compared
to others. There is often no mapping with these units so areas could be missed.
Some use fussy logic and bump around to create a map of the area, kind of like
a vision impaired person using a cane to figure out their surroundings. Others
are equipped with cameras and actively map out the area so they learn much
faster and can better deal with layout changes, but I believe they are more
expensive.
Most of the 'smarter' two types come with a charging base and are smart
enough to return when they are done cleaning or need a charge in order to
complete the circuit, this is very useful. I think I've even seen a couple
models that have the ability to empty their collection bins into the charging
base to allow cleaning of larger areas. Not that your collection area will be
dirty enough to make much use of this feature. Many, if not all, of these two
types come with invisible barriers. You can set these up to block off areas you
don't want the unit to clean and could be useful if there are certain spots you
don't want the unit accessing. These units typically have cleaning and
scheduling features either controlled by a remote or a mobile app. The mobile
apps can also give warnings about a full bin, being stuck, charging issues,
etc. I believe.
If you go ahead I'm sure many of us would be interested in how it turns
out for you.
William Shepherd
Collections Officer
Swift Current Museum
44 Robert Street West
Swift Current, Saskatchewan
S9H 4M9
Phone: 306-778-4815
Fax: 306-778-4818
Archives: http://sain.scaa.sk.ca/collections/swift-current-museum
Library: https://www.librarything.com/profile/SwiftCurrentMuseum
Website: http://www.swiftcurrent.ca
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