Having a pool is awesome. Cleaning a pool, not so much. If the idea of mucking with pool muck sends a shiver down your spine, iRobot's newly announced Mirra 530 robot might be right up your alley. With the push of a single button, this deep-cleaning contraption scours—literally—every inch of your pool, scrubbing away algae and grime and optimizing your water without needing to be hooked up to any outside hoses, pumps, or filtration systems.
Basically a bigger, badder version the existing "Verro" line of pool-cleaning robots, the Mirra 530 wanders around and sizes up the pool to determine the optimum cleaning route before it gets down to business, similar to other iRobot offerings like the Roomba and floor-scrubbing Scooba. While the Mirra 530's PVC scrub brush is busy brushing off the walls and floor of your pool, the robot's self-contained cleaning system actively pumps and filters 70 gallons of water per second, which also helps to evenly disperse hot spots and pools chemical throughout the water.
Even with all that going on, the Mirra 530's onboard navigation system keeps the robot sloshing along, intelligently avoiding obstacles—including its own 60 ft. power cord. Again, anyone who's ever seen iRobot's Roomba, Mint, or Scooba in action knows the drill.
The Mirra 530 and a small legion of iRobot's helpful companions will be on display at CES next week, though this advanced pool cleaner won't be available to the public until spring. When it does, it'll sport a $1,299 price tag. iRobot's Verro line of pool-cleaning bots sport smaller sticker prices, though they also have varying features and accessories, with cleaning tools that work best with select pool types.
Get a daily look at what’s developing in science and technology throughout the world.