Asus branching out into robot vacuum cleaners

You know, the other day when I mentioned that Samsung is set to overtake Asus in terms of total netbook shipments, I pointed out that Samsung is a huge consumer electronics brand while Asus is really best known for making computers and peripherals. But it looks like that’s changing. Asus is continually branching out into new product categories, and the latest is a bit of a head-scratcher… or rather a floor sweeper.

Taiwan Economic News reports that Asus is working on a robotic vacuum cleaner called the ECleaner. It will actually come from Asus subsidiary AGAiT Technology and the ECleaner will only be sold in China and Taiwan at launch.

While “ECleaner” bears a more than striking resemblance to “Eee Cleaner,” it doesn’t look like this is going to be part of the Asus Eee family of products.

The vacuum will have a UV light for disinfecting goodness and the ability squirt fragrances on your floor if you’re into that sort of thing. If you’re tired of watching the robot bump into walls and furniture, you can also grab the remote control and guide it yourself… and then watch it bump into walls and furniture.

Of course, the ECleaner is hardly the first robot vacuum on the market. But at about $150, it’s one of the cheaper models.

You can check out a video of little guy in action after the break.

via Engadget, Wired, and Robot Stock News