Spring is almost here and that means love is in the air; flowers are blooming and trees are growing leaves again. It also means it's time for people to break out the brooms, dustpans, mops and buckets and start thinking about spring cleaning. But for some consumers, spring cleaning could mean sitting back and watching their vacuums do the work for them. For others it could be the simplicity of directing an almost weightless, hovering vacuum across the floors in their home.
Technology is moving into the domain of housework, and as companies such as iRobot (and its most famous product, the Roomba) are becoming more of a household name, others are working to break into the market where consumers are ready and waiting for the next big thing.
Philip Wright is the North American vice president of vacuum company Airider. The Airider uses hovercraft technology to create a lightweight vacuum which pulls in airflow at over 200 mph and makes it safe to vacuum on hard surfaces as well as carpet.
Wright said he believes people should embrace technology when considering housework.
"People should be very open to technology, especially in the cleaning industry," Wright said, "Anything created to make your home cleaner, means making your environment healthier. You cannot put a price nor a second thought on your health. And the fact that technology can also make things easier is an added bonus."
The misconception many consumers have when considering technologically-advanced cleaning devices is that sometimes they see unique products as a gimmicks, Wright said.
"Let's not mistake the Airider for a gimmick," Wright said, "It has serious cleaning power, pulling airflow through the unit at over 200 mph. But let's face it, the idea of a floating vacuum is pretty cool. It's something you would see on The Jetsons or Star Wars; it's really futuristic."
While consumers may be drawn to the Airider because it is unique, Wright said, it is the technology in the Airider which makes it stand out as a product people want to buy.
"People are not only looking for something fun and unique, they are looking for something that can help them get the job done as quickly and easily as possible," Wright said, "The Airider is very innovative."
Airider is selling the vacuum online at Airider.co.uk for $299, and although the company is based in England, the American model will ship for free to the United States until May 31.
Wright said the company's outlook for the future success of the Airider is positive.
"Our company's ultimate goal is for every household in the world to own and take advantage of weightless cleaning," he said.
One company that has had success with a technologically-advanced vacuum is iRobot. The company has several models of the self-motored vacuum, and has sold over 1.5 million units worldwide to date, according to the company's Web site.
Recently, the company has launched its newest entrant into the home-cleaning arena: the Scooba, a self-running floor robot which preps, washes, scrubs and dries linoleum, tile and sealed hardwood floors.
Colin Angle, the CEO of iRobot, said in a press release that Scooba represents iRobot's goals for the future.
"iRobot Scooba underscores our commitment to building robots that perform everyday tasks more effectively," Angle said. "Scooba will liberate people from mops and buckets and introduce a revolutionary way to clean floors."
Another press release from iRobot said the robots' design and the minimal interaction users have with them is what draws customers into the market.
"Thanks to the unique intelligence inside Roomba, users can feel comfortable leaving it to clean while they turn their attention to other things," the release said.
The Scooba retails for $399 on iRobot.com, where the company also offers five models of the carpet-cleaning vacuum Roomba with prices ranging from $149 to $329.
The success that iRobot has had selling the Roomba and launching the Scooba shows that consumers are starting to embrace technology in areas of their lives not pertaining to entertainment. Airider is hoping to see that success with its vacuum.
Wright said consumer interest in technologically advanced products will continue to fuel an ever-changing technology market for the home.
"People are going to keep looking for the next big thing, and manufacturers are going to continue to surprise the consumer," Wright said. "We believe cleaning technology should be pushing towards lightweight and effortlessness. But we really believe technological advances will go as far as our imaginations will go.
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