I am thinking of getting a robot vacuum. But I think I read a lot of them send a lot of information about the goings on of your house back to the company. And I want no part of that. Which companies should I avoid or look at. And anything else I should worry about besides the “does it work” part?

  • Dave@lemmy.nz
    0·
    1 month ago

    How technical are you? If you’d want an offline solution, check out https://valetudo.cloud

    See the list of supported devices.

    But note this warning:

    To install Valetudo you will need some understanding of linux-ish operating systems as well as computers in general and maybe even some basic hardware hacking stuff. If you lack these skills, please consider asking a friend or computer repair shop to help you with that.

    • TootSweet@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      1 month ago

      I got a Dreame Z10 Pro and Valetudo’d it. It’s a pretty expensive model and quite the investment, but I was happy with the results until the Wifi conked out. Still works, I just have to actually push the button physically on the robot to get it to start a clean. Not a huge deal.

      The actual process of setting up Valetudo was a little technical. I’m not sure how much the process varies from device to device but for me it required an FTDI cable/adapter (and with those you always have to make sure it’s the right voltage for the device). As I recall, the setup guide for Valetudo was straightforward to follow, but then I play around with hardware hacking stuff occasionally. At least to the extent that I already had FTDI adapters and breadboard jumpers laying around without having to buy them specifically for this use case.

      • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.worldOP
        0·
        1 month ago

        ouch. I got rid of my breadboard and such after college… more than 20 years ago. This sounds like it is more of an adventure then I have time for.