Helping hand: the robot that vacuums

Toiling over the vacuum cleaner is set to become a thing of the past thanks to a revolutionary new cleaning robot.

The Roomba does not need pushing and removes dirt and dust from floors in minutes, its maker claims.

You simply place it on the floor, switch it on and let it get to work. It navigates its way by gently bouncing off furniture and other objects in its path - after making an 'uh-oh' noise upon collision.

When it has been over every part of the room several times, it beeps and shuts itself down.

Roomba, which is just under 14in round and weighs less than 6lb, was created by Massachusetts-based company iRobot after 12 years of research and 30 prototypes.

Its pathfinding programme is based on that used by military robots designed to clear land mines. It can be programmed for small, medium or large rooms and has a mechanism to prevent it going down the stairs by mistake.

However, the product cannot always reach dirt in corners and may get wedged under furniture.

But iRobot spokeswoman Nancy Dussault insists the device, which runs on rechargeable batteries, will revolutionise cleaning despite such flaws.

She said: 'It will be a dream for busy mothers who can get their houses cleaned in minutes with the push of a button, as well as for students and twentysomethings who can go out and party while their house is cleaned.'

Roomba goes on sale in the US tomorrow for £130. Hoover, Electrolux and Dyson are working on similar robots.