Don’t resent your robot vacuum cleaner for its idle hours – work it harder!
Computer scientists have reprogrammed a Roomba to perform four new tasks, showcasing how domestic robots can be harnessed during their downtime to make our lives easier.
University of Bath
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Domestic robots, such as robot vacuum cleaners, spend most of their day idle - researchers propose ways to work them harder to make our own lives easier.
view moreCredit: Adwait Sharma & Yoshiaki Shiokawa, University of Bath
At a time when we run ourselves ragged to meet society’s expectations of productivity, performance and time optimisation, is it right that our robot vacuum cleaners and other smart appliances should sit idle for most of the day?
Computer scientists at the University of Bath in the UK think not. In a new paper, they propose over 100 ways to tap into the latent potential of our robotic devices. The researchers say these devices could be reprogrammed to perform helpful tasks around the home beyond their primary functions, keeping them physically active during their regular downtime.
New functions could include playing with the cat, watering plants, carrying groceries from car to kitchen, delivering breakfast in bed and closing windows when it rains.
For their study – presented today at the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, the premier international conference of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) – the researchers identified 100 functions that domestic cleaning robots could, with some fine tuning, perform during idle periods. They then demonstrated the technical feasibility of working robots harder by reprogramming a Roomba (a popular robot vacuum cleaner) to perform the following four functions:
- Mobile wireless charger: The robot, fitted with a holder, charged a phone, navigating the home to find the phone user when mobile charging was needed.
- Workout projector: Equipped with a projector, the robot displayed workout videos on a wall. When it was time for floor exercises, it seamlessly shifted the projection to the ceiling, ensuring uninterrupted viewing.
- Home monitor: The robot monitored the home remotely, providing live video and task control, such as observing the oven while the user watched and controlled it.
- Work-status signpost: Fitted with a screen signalling 'meeting in progress,' the robot could be sent to a specific location (such as outside a room) to deter disturbances.
Yoshiaki Shiokawa, first author of the study and a PhD student in the Department of Computer Science at Bath, said: “Mobile domestic robots, like robot vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers, are perceived as limited, single-task devices but there is a strong argument that they are under-used for practical tasks. For most of the day, they sit idle.
“We should be extending their utility beyond their primary tasks by programming them to physically navigate the home to perform a range of additional functions. Just think how much more efficiently households would run if Roombas could be converted into household assistants.
“Our study proved that after making minimal adjustments, a Roomba can serve multiple roles around the home.”
Untapped potential
Prior work has investigated how stationary smart devices (such as smart speakers, thermostats, or security cameras) can perform additional tasks when idle, like updating software or processing information.
Researchers have also explored how robots can signal they are powered on and ready for action through subtle cues, such as having lights that fade in and out or gentle movement, even when they are not actively performing a task.
But the new study is believed to be the first where scientists have investigated the untapped potential of domestic robot’s mobility, systematically exploring how a device's idle time can be repurposed for diverse, value-adding interactions that cover home maintenance, on-demand assistance and pet care.
The range of tasks proposed for future mobile robots would be made possible by developing a series of robot-compatible bases (for instance of different heights), extendable arms and attachable cart.
With the right extensions and attachments, the researchers suggest that robots could immediately undertake some of the proposed new tasks, such as delivering mobile light therapy for individuals with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or reminding users to take their medication and schedule medical appointments. Other concepts, like using robots to predict users' needs based on behavioural patterns, are more aspirational.
Robots on the rise
Domestic robots such as vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers are growing in popularity and expected to see annual market growth of 18.8% by 2028. The authors of the new study found that on average, a robot vacuum cleaner cleans for just one hour and 47 minutes every day.
Study co-author and supervisor Dr Adwait Sharma said: “Idle time presents unique opportunities for value-adding interactions and it aligns with the growing need for adaptable robots and integrated systems that can seamlessly fit into our daily lives. A robot vacuum could, for instance, use its idle time to monitor home security, water the plants or assist an older person to stand from a sitting position. These tasks tap into the robot’s advanced sensors, as well as its mobility.
Addition function proposed by the study’s authors for tomorrow’s robotic devices – in consultation with 12 global experts with extensive knowledge of robots and AI – include: searching for lost items; managing smart devices, for instance by changing a TV channel; assisting a user in taking a family photo; scanning the fridge and suggesting items to purchase; entertaining children; playing a card game; interacting with a pet; cleaning pet litter boxes and bowls; detecting unusual sounds and navigating within the home to inspect the situation; checking if doors are locked; cooking in parallel with a user; wiping a table; clearing and sorting food waste while a meal is being prepared; notifying family members when a meal is ready by knocking on doors; organising items and tidying up, for instance toys; moving plants for sunlight; clearing paths and alerting users to tripping hazards; receiving and delivering packages when the user is busy.
The research team also included Dr. Aditya Shekhar Nittala, Asst. Prof. at the University of Calgary (Canada), alongside master’s student Winnie Chen and Professor Jason Alexander from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Bath.
Method of Research
Experimental study
Subject of Research
Not applicable
Article Title
Beyond Vacuuming: How Can We Exploit Domestic Robots' Idle Time?
Article Publication Date
25-Apr-2025
Enhanced DLP-based one-step 3D printing of multifunctional magnetic soft robot
Beijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd
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(a) Schematic of the multi-material one-step printing process, demonstrating the sequential switching of three different resin tanks during printing to achieve composite structures in a single step. (b) Illustration of the curing process of resin containing magnetic particles under UV light. (c) SEM image of the cross-section of a printed sample, indicating uniform layer height and stable printing. (d)EDS image of the printed sample, depicting the elemental distribution across the sample's cross-section.
view moreCredit: Jiadao Wang, State Key Laboratory of Tribology in Advanced Equipment, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University.
In a research paper, scientists from the Tsinghua University proposed a novel enhanced Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D printing technology, capable of printing composite magnetic structures with different material sin a single step. Furthermore, a soft robot with a hard magnetic material-superparamagnetic material composite was designed and printed.
The new research paper, published Feb. 26 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems, introduces a soft robot based on DLP 3D printing technology, which presents extensive potential for the design and manufacturing of multifunctional soft robots.
According to Wang, "various methods are available for fabricating 2D or 3D magnetic structures. However, traditional processes like mold-assisted forming and UV lithography are restricted by mold shapes and material types, posing challenges in fabricating complex magnetic structures. These methods demand uniform composition throughout the structure, complicating the creation of multifunctional magnetic structures with multiple materials. While multi-step assembly and material bonding techniques can combine different materials for various applications, they struggle with ensuring the size range and precision of the fabricated structures." Based on these problems, Wang, the author of this study, proposed introduces an advanced DLP technique. This method enables the fabrication of composite magnetic structures comprising different materials in a single printing process. Utilizing this technique, we fabricated various composite structures, including magnetic soft-hard material composites, gradient composites with different concentrations of magnetic materials, and hard magnetic-superparamagnetic composites.
Wang said this study introduces innovative aspects and implementation principles of multi-material one-step 3D printing for magnetically driven soft structures. It includes mechanical and magnetic characterization of 3D printed structures, as well as demonstration of sample applications. The design and verification of soft robot composed of hard magnetic materials and superparamagnetic materials are introduced in detail, with emphasis on the distribution of magnetic domains and the thermal effects of superparamagnetic materials. Evaluate the ground maneuverability of these soft robots and demonstrate their ability to overcome obstacles and capture and transport objects. In addition, the robots' swimming ability in a liquid environment was examined and their swimming posture was analyzed using a multi-physics coupled simulation.
The author indicates that after addressing issues such as the adhesion between high-concentration magnetic structures and release films, the reduction in effective curing depth, and the sedimentation of magnetic particles, and after undergoing biocompatibility tests, this research may be applicable to the design of capsule robots with drug delivery capabilities, transporting drug particles to wound sites in biological tissues.
Authors of the paper include Zhaoxin Li, Ding Weng, Lei Chen, Yuan Ma, Zili Wang, Jiadao Wang.
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Grant No. 52275200) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Grant No. 52205312).
The paper, “Enhanced DLP-Based One-Step 3D Printing of Multifunctional Magnetic Soft Robot” was published in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems on Feb 26, 2025, at DOI: 10.34133/cbsystems.0215.
Journal
Cyborg and Bionic Systems
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