What does robot intelligence really mean?

[DigitallyChallenged]

There have been threads mentioning this but it is unclear as to how "intelligent" any of the bots are. One thread discussed using the same bot in multiple pools with similar results. Does anyone know how the Maytronics units "learn" and then adapt to an individual pool? They are dropped in at varying locations in the same pool. How do they set a pattern and improve with time? Is this basically marketing hype?

 

[Jimrahbe]

DC,

I don't believe that they actually store any info about the pool. They may "learn" about the particular pool while they are working, but I doubt they retain that info. I suspect they have to "learn" all over again the next time they are turned on.

I say this because I have several and have interchanged them between pools and used the same one in different pools on the same day and it just has never made a difference.

I have been extremely happy with the ones I have and will buy another one if one of mine dies..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[drharris]

I don't know about particular robot guts here, but I am a software guy. I would really doubt it learns anything about your pool from operation to operation. There's no benefit in the algorithm. Basically, upon startup it's going to move, and gradually map out the pool. During that cycle, it will retain information to ensure it hits all the right spots. But once it completes the cycle, there's nothing to be gained from remembering that information for next time - any slight change in the water level, pool toys left in, etc. will render that information useless and it will have to start over again. So there's just no real benefit.

The "intelligence" is like the opposite of a suction/pressure cleaner - those use random paths and hopefully over time it will hit all the spots. Whereas a robotic cleaner can indeed map out the entire 3d space and ensure near-complete coverage. So it is intelligence, just likely doesn't have memory that persists across cleanings.

 

[robl45]

I personally think its all fancy terms for we have a circuit board in the robot. Also I honestly don't believe any of them that don't have dual drive motors and can turn on the bottom can really do any type of learning and intelligent patterns. They would try to move around and then end up going off in the wrong direction. I had two dolphins and they frankly just appeared to muddle around the pool. The blue diamond could spotlessly clean the pool in an hour so it seemed like maybe it did some type of learning.

 

[Patrick_B]

I don't know about particular robot guts here, but I am a software guy. I would really doubt it learns anything about your pool from operation to operation. There's no benefit in the algorithm. Basically, upon startup it's going to move, and gradually map out the pool. During that cycle, it will retain information to ensure it hits all the right spots. But once it completes the cycle, there's nothing to be gained from remembering that information for next time - any slight change in the water level, pool toys left in, etc. will render that information useless and it will have to start over again. So there's just no real benefit.

The "intelligence" is like the opposite of a suction/pressure cleaner - those use random paths and hopefully over time it will hit all the spots. Whereas a robotic cleaner can indeed map out the entire 3d space and ensure near-complete coverage. So it is intelligence, just likely doesn't have memory that persists across cleanings.

I believe this is true, and makes complete sense. And they do (or mine does) "scope things out" beginning each cycle, so there is something to the learning what to do question. However, I really do think it's a one off every single time.