MACH's second product. Redefine the automated cleaner.
Designers-Jeawan Jeong, Simon Kim, Ang Chao

// MACH R1 is now eufy S1 pro //

In 2016, iRobot introduced the Roomba I series with automatic waste disposal, and in 2017, Narwal introduced an automatic mopping and self-cleaning system. Following these innovations, Ecovacs released OMNI X1, which combines the functionality of both systems into one product. This marks the beginning of fierce competition in the field of automatic self-cleaning robots.

Limitations of Mop Types

At present, 80% of the products on the market use circular mopping, which is the simplest and most mechanically convenient method, similar to the way people mop the floor. Although this method is very suitable for removing a small amount of dust on the floor, it is not suitable for cleaning liquid spills.

In addition, because the robot continues to clean after the mop has become dirty, this has a significant disadvantage: unless the robot returns to the base station to clean the mop, it may spread pollution on the floor. When people mop the floor, if one side of the mop becomes dirty after a period of time, they will flip the mop and continue to clean with the clean side. Roborock uses a vibration-based mop that operates in a similar way. Narwal's product solves this problem by returning to the base station to clean the mop more frequently, but this will bring efficiency issues, which I will discuss later.

The only effective way to clean a mop facing the ground is to spray water from below. I personally think this is the biggest disadvantage of using a round or vibrating mop. From a structural point of view, because the only option is to spray water on the dirty mop from below, a lot of water will be wasted, because the sprayed water will fall down when it touches the mop.

Although mopping the floor has a significant effect on cleaning, considering the concept of automation, using too much water will cause users to add water more frequently, which is inconsistent with the core concept of the product. This may be why most manufacturers on the market prefer large-capacity tanks (4.5L ~ 7L), but this also brings usability problems.

When using a water dispenser that sprays water from below, you may find that more water is spilled underneath than you actually drink.

Always Clean Mop

Structural challenges, but bring huge user benefits-roll brush mop.
By removing contaminants from the mop during the cleaning process, it is no longer necessary to clean the floor with a dirty mop. In addition, by spraying water from above the mop, unnecessary waste of water can be reduced.

In order to improve the cleaning efficiency and effectively clean the corners, we designed a roller brush mop with the maximum allowable length on the basis of the equipment limitation, and designed its shape accordingly. Our goal is to distinguish ourselves aesthetically from other brands without compromising on technology. To achieve this goal, we adopted a rounded square design.

In order to visualize the process of lifting the mop when cleaning the carpet, we placed LED indicators on the side to convey the robot's accurate perception of the environment.

The 290mm roll brush mop can clean the edge of the floor in depth.

Visual limitations.

Cleaning the prominent LiDAR on the robot is a challenge for designers. Not only is it difficult to integrate it beautifully into the design, but it is also difficult to distinguish our design from other products in the market.

The user often uses the protruding portion as a handle.

This can also be an obstacle when cleaning narrow spaces under furniture.

By integrating LiDAR within the pre-buffer, we achieve a unique and advanced form factor. In addition, we used the LED and MACH logo to maintain the identity of the brand, and visually demonstrated the real-time mapping function of LiDAR, adding to its advanced sense.

Base station-redesigned for optimal availability

Product interaction cycle
All-purpose products emphasize automation as a core keyword. The less interaction between the user and the product, the higher the product's loyalty to the concept. When considering the ideal life cycle of the product, it is ideal for usability that the frequency of water replenishment and dirty water emptying should be similar. However, existing products on the market use tanks of the same capacity, which results in that the frequency of fresh water replenishment and dirty water emptying may be different, causing the user to interact with the product more frequently than expected.

By efficiently cleaning a larger area with less water and adjusting the replenishment and emptying cycle of the water tank, we minimize the frequency of user interaction with the product.

Existing products on the market do not provide a way to measure the amount of water in the water tank until the water tank is actually inspected and taken out. Although it is not realistic to know whether the user has pre-filled water based on the water level alone, knowing the amount of clean water available can help avoid returning from a long time away from home to find that the cleaning work is incomplete.

Another source of confusing information is to hide the tanks and place them on the left and right sides. It is not intuitive to distinguish which is a clean water tank and which is a dirty water tank. To solve this problem, companies try to use different colors to distinguish the tanks, but each company has its own logic. Generally speaking, the convention is that the water tank on the right is a clean water tank, but the reason behind this convention is not entirely clear.

Two-button flushing device.
Whether this button is for easy pressing or to dispense more water is easy to confuse.
In addition, the size of the button is too small, and it is almost inevitable that two buttons will be pressed at the same time.
There is an actual study that shows that 80% of users use these buttons incorrectly.

Emphasizing functionality can also increase confidence in the cleaning performance of the product.

It is ergonomically challenging to move a water tank weighing up to 5kg from a low or high position.

670mm high uncovered platform

The flat and wide handle shape forces the user to support the weight with his fingers, making the heavy water tank appear heavier. We optimized the shape of the handle and the surrounding environment to make the same weight feel lighter.

The LCD display located on the site is a great way to accurately understand and operate the status of the product without opening the phone or launching applications. However, the location of the display screen requires the user to bend over or look closely, and an overly complex user interface design may not be ideal.

The interface is set at the highest and closest position to the user, with a tilt of 15 degrees ensuring the most comfortable interaction with the product. Given the small size of the LCD screen, we optimized all the information animations to convey the information as intuitively as possible.