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After cameras and surveillance systems, Imou is enriching its catalog with a first robot vacuum cleaner. The L11 comes with an automatic dump station. It is found at less than 400 € in the trade.
Imou L11
We mainly knew Imou for its surveillance cameras, such as the A1 4MP. And for good reason: as a brand of the Dahua group, specialist in video surveillance equipment, Imou has also made it a specialty. However, the firm does not intend to stop there and has even recently launched a robot vacuum cleaner. Like its cameras, this Imou L11 is rather affordable in terms of its characteristics, which are attractive on paper, to say the least.
Laser navigation and automatic dump station
For its first robot vacuum cleaner, Imou decided to bet on a laser navigation system. The L11 is thus surmounted by a 360° rotating Lidar sensor in order to map the house and optimize its movements. From the application, it is also possible to add virtual walls and areas to avoid. The Imou L11 can rely on various sensors to avoid obstacles in its path. It should also be able to identify carpets in order to automatically increase the suction power when it passes over them.
A central brush and a side brush are also provided to help the robot pick up waste and bring it to its 300 ml collector. A rather low capacity, but which is counterbalanced by the automatic emptying function of the charging station. It must itself suck the contents of this collector into a 3-litre bag each time the robot returns to it in order to avoid the user having to empty it after each cleaning session, in addition therefore to recharging it. The user should be quiet for a month, according to Imou. The autonomy of the L11 is announced between 60 and 120 minutes, depending on the suction power used.
In addition to vacuuming, Imou’s robot must also be able to wash the floor using a mop that can be added to its underside. A 250 ml water tank is provided to humidify it and the application lets you choose between three water flow rates, but you probably shouldn’t expect too much from this function in the absence of a vibration system like we do. found for example on the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra or even its predecessor, the Roborock S7.
The Imou L11 is however much more affordable than the latter since it can be found at 399 € on the market, with its automatic emptying station. For their part, the Roborock models, with an equivalent station, are sold for 800 and 1000 € respectively. If we can also find other affordable models such as the Roidmi Eve Plus and the Shark IQ RV1000SEU, this first Imou vacuum cleaner offers in any case an excellent quality/price ratio.