Internal R&D — Prototype v1
Cleaner Robot
A custom-built robot vacuum and mop — designed to fix the problems the market hasn't solved.
~$661
First build cost
~2 months
Time to build
$0–$250
Iteration cost
A custom-built robot vacuum and mop — designed to fix the problems the market hasn't solved.
Stair sensor mistakes black tiles for a cliff — entire rooms left uncleaned.
Two sensors per corner — one checks reflection, one measures real distance.
Hair wraps around the roller within a few uses. Users cut it out by hand.
Spiral-fin brushroll guides hair to the ends — not wrapped in the middle.
Even $1,500 robots bash into walls and give up before finishing.
Three sensors working together — if one fails, the other two keep it on track.
Spins in place — zero-radius turns in tight spaces. Industry-proven shape.
One cable charges the battery and updates the software. No proprietary connectors.
Fires 4,000 pulses per second to map every wall and obstacle — works in the dark.
IR + Time-of-Flight at each corner. Dark floors no longer trigger false alarms.
One thinks (navigation). One reacts (motors, 1000× per second). Each does one job perfectly.
Camera detects carpet automatically. Mop pad lifts off the floor before it gets wet.
Focus is on building the robot itself. Auto-return and self-charging deferred to v2. Mop pads replaced manually.
3S2P Li-ion pack — enough for rooms up to ~1,500 sq ft on a single charge.
Mid-to-high range — above most budget robots, below current flagship. Off-the-shelf fan module.
Single port — charges the battery and connects for software updates. No proprietary cable.
Off-the-shelf components beat branding margins. First prototype at ~$661, iterations at $0–$250.
All 4 boards designed with BOM before anything is manufactured.
JLCPCB sources PCB components from LCSC stock and assembles boards. In parallel, order parts they don't stock: RPi5, LiDAR, motors, battery.
Power on in isolation. Verify everything works before assembly.
Full robot assembled. Tested against all success criteria.
Fix, improve, repeat. Each PCB respin adds 2 weeks.
Want the engineering reasoning? Read the technical decision record →