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Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn

VIOMI SE has been given killer pricing, but with the same capabilities as its top models.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn


 

If you prefer video content, check out our demo here:


 

VIOMI SE Robotic Vacuum Cleaner - Introduction

The robotic vacuum cleaner is one of the biggest hits of recent years. I love them too, even though I tried to dissuade everyone from buying for 6-7 years.

The reason for this was simple, the hardware of the machines at the time was not strong enough, and a lot of technology didn’t even exist, or at least not in the size that could have been built into a vacuum cleaner. These machines wandered back and forth in the apartment, their suction power was ridiculous, so I thought they were good for at most one thing, we could cut up with them in front of the neighbors.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 1

Then the hardware grew stronger, and not just the literal iron, but also the processors and sensors, the phone applications came, and with that, at least to the extent of today, our robots became smart. They no longer guard left and right, see, think, plan a route and even store the floor plan of our apartment to make the next cleaning even more efficient.

Moreover, the latest vacuum cleaners are not only capable of this, they also learn with the help of built-in artificial intelligence that they can get around the legs of our furniture with as little fatigue and more efficiently incorporate our furniture into route planning from cleaning to cleaning.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 2

This article will be about such a machine, and one that is the best in recent years in terms of price-knowledge ratio, and not only in Xiaomi’s offerings, but in general.

Before we move on to the presentation, let’s talk a little about the price! I do shoot the point with this, but it is part of your understanding of why I consider this vacuum cleaner the best of recent years.

Let's start there that we can't find a laser robotic vacuum cleaner for less than 100 thousand forints. There are many reasons for this, and the savings can always be seen in the performance and knowledge of cheaper machines. Two years ago, when the dollar cost 250 forints, it was a holiday when the price of the Xiaomi roborock S50 fell below 100 thousand forints with a brutal coupon promotion. Since then, a dollar has cost 300 forints, which means a 20 percent increase on every purchase.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 3

So perhaps it is already understandable why it is difficult to find a machine under 100 thousand, which cost so much 2 years ago, not counting inflation, today it would hurt 120 thousand forints. So, the robot to be shown below, let’s look through such glasses as well, not forgetting that your knowledge is already miles ahead of the roborock S50, which has been a top model for two years now!


 

Packaging and accessories

The VIOMI SE box and accessories (at least for the most part) are exactly the same as the other but more expensive machines.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 4

Next to the machine you will find some accessories. A combined powder and water tank, two round brushes, one of which goes to the machine, the second spare. We get a MOP head that does the wiping, and it comes with a second MOP that can be used for wide water washing.

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In addition to these, we also find the docking station through which the machine charges itself and a power cord, which is fortunately EU standard, so we won’t need a converter.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 6


 

External

In the same way the exterior is almost the same, the dimensions are exactly the same, 35 centimeters in diameter, 9,45 centimeters in height. The weight of the machine has decreased by at least a kilo compared to the top model VIOMI V3, the reasons for which I will write about later.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 7

The appearance has changed in terms of color. In VIOMI's offer, it was already white among the dumbest machines, but this is the first of the lasers that didn't get any dark color. I welcome the idea because it shows much less dust on it than it does on a lacquer black finish.

If you open the dust container lid, you will not find any changes. Everything is in the same place as the bigger, more expensive siblings. If we turn the back on the experience the same, an uninitiated eye will not tell you which is the more expensive machine.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 8

The dust container lives on the cover under the opening door, here you will find the blade, which is used to clean the roller brush. Outside the laser turret, you will only find a round push button, one half of which you can turn the machine on and off, and the other half you can send it back to the dock.

On the underside, on either side of the large threshold climbing wheels, in front of a small planetary wheel to make it easy to turn. In front of one of the larger wheels we find a round brush for sweeping, and in the middle there is a roller brush that conveys the dirt to the suction opening. In addition, four more sensors that have been installed against falling and the location of the MOP toward the back flap can be eye-catching.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 9

To the rear of the side of the machine are the charging contacts of the docking station, to the side is a speaker and ventilation grille, and to the front is an infrared LED and its associated infrared sensor, as well as a collision sensor. They live under a flexible bumper with a shock-absorbing zone.


 

abilities

We just got to the point where it will be clear why this vacuum cleaner is such a good buy. As an introduction, it is enough to tell me that it differs from the more expensive top model, the VIOMI V3, by only 100 points, which costs about 3 thousand forints more. True, these are significant differences, but as you will see, they are not yet as cardinal in terms of usage.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 10

For a robotic vacuum cleaner, the capabilities of the hardware are very important, but so is how smart the machine is and what we can do with it through the phone application that can be used for it.

Most important: There is no difference between the cheap VIOMI SE and the expensive VIOMI V3 in terms of software knowledge and the number and type of sensors that enable knowledge!

This means that the knowledge of the two machines is essentially the same! But then why the big price difference, what’s stupid about the SE version?

  1. More expensive models have been given more tanks, there is a separate water and dust tank, and there is also a combined water and dust tank. In contrast, in the SE version we only find one combined tank with which we can vacuum and mop at the same time, but if we want to, we can of course use only the vacuum cleaner or only the mop ability. I'll write about that later!
  2. The suction power is lower. The VIOMI V3 is one, if not the strongest vacuum cleaner on the market with a force of 2600 Pa, the SE knows less than this, 2200 Pascal. That’s still quite a bit of high-end data, even here!
  3. The VIOMI V3 has a capacity of 4900 mAh and the SE has a capacity of 3200 mAh. What it means? All you can do is clear a smaller area (~ 200 sqm) with one charge.
  4. VIOMI V3 has got an antivirus function that is not found in SE.

 

And that's it, we're done, these four stronger abilities currently cost 100 thousand forints. Is it worth the extra cost? Whoever needs the best will pay that price, but I think there will be more people who say - damn with more suction, damn being able to clean up fewer square feet, I’ll be good at SE for half the price!

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 11

I wrote above that there is a difference of almost a kilo in the weight of VIOMI SE and VIOMI V3. Well, now we can see why. Both the battery and the motor are slightly smaller, although the difference I feel is more due to the difference in capacity and size of the battery pack.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 12

Okay, now that we’ve clarified the differences, let’s see the same abilities!

The VIOMI SE is a laser vacuum cleaner that maps the space around it in real time and finds the cleaning route in real time. This requires an advanced and powerful processor, which, as I mentioned above, has also been augmented with a self-learning algorithm based on artificial intelligence.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 13

For the mapping, it uses a laser sensor, which calculates the distance of the furniture and walls from the laser light exiting the gun tower and reflected there. This system is essentially the same as that used in self-driving cars, called the LDS system, or LIDAR system, the two cover the same thing, LDS- or LIDAR System.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 14

The SLAM algorithm is also mentioned in connection with machines, this is important, but not even in the fact that it is found in all advanced vacuum cleaners. The meaning of the acronym is essentially that it can process the signals coming from the sensors and can plan a route intelligently. So SLAM is there in every similar machine, but how SLAM works decides how efficiently a particular vacuum cleaner can do route planning. Well, in this Xiaomi is very good!

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 15

Xiaomina, and thus the machines marketed under the VIOMI brand, can be said to be non-Chinese. At least not in the sense that the parts that come in them have been sorted from all over the world, they always get the best of everything.

To say the least, the suction motor in every Xiaomi vacuum cleaner is a NIDEC-made, carbon-free solution that comes from Japan, but in the same way, a Japanese company also manufactures large handrails. So there is no difference in these between their cheap and expensive laser vacuum cleaners.


 

Cleaning methods

Of course, we get several cleaning methods, there will be no difference between the more expensive V3 and the SE that costs half as much. Sure, we’ll mostly only use one, but it’s good to know there are more!

So, the suction power can be adjusted in four steps, at the weakest the vacuum cleaner has almost no sound. The strength of the mop can be adjusted in three steps. More precisely, we can adjust how much water enters the MOP from the tank. We also have the option to choose another more intense Y-path or S-path mop.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 16

In the case of Y, the machine does not move forward in a straight line, but turns right-left-right-left, and so on. In this way we get a whole effective mop.

Mode S is essentially a smooth vacuuming path as the machine travels back and forth through the apartment, describing large S-shapes. This mopping mode is faster but less effective.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 17

The intensity of vacuuming and mopping can be further increased with the "Secondary cleaning" function, in which case the robot cleans twice in a row. The function does not have to be switched off, it is always only for one cleaning time! There is also a "Side sweeping" function, also for one occasion, in which case the machine sweeps along the walls and furniture.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 18

As I wrote above - and I promised to talk more about it - the VIOMI SE got a combined powder and water tank. Their capacity is, of course, smaller than if we only used a powder or water tank, so not only the capacity of the battery, but also the reason that the manufacturer recommends “only” up to 200 square meters of housing size.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 19

However, it is good to know that it is not mandatory to choose only vacuuming or just mopping at the same time, we can also combine this. That is, we can do this by adjusting the strength of the vacuum cleaner, the amount of water per MOP, the sweep pattern (Y or S) and thus starting the machine on its way. But we can also just mop it up, in which case the vacuum cleaner motor won't even turn on.

Then what else? I write about this when it comes to map management!


 

Map management and timing

If I like something about modern Xiaomi (VIOMI) vacuum cleaners, that’s map management. Let’s start there, now that relatively cheap models like the VIOMI SE also have the option to store and manage multiple maps. You can save exactly 5 maps.

Why is this good? Because the vacuum cleaner will also be suitable for cleaning multi-storey buildings, it will memorize the map of the apartment along with the settings. This is very good because not only the map is stored in this case, but also our settings on the map.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 20

For example, we can use virtual walls to separate rooms without doors. For example, in an apartment with an American kitchen, we can separate the living room from the kitchen or correct it if the machine misperceives the boundaries of a room.

You can name each room or virtual room and clean only one or more designated rooms with the machine for different timed cleanings.

If you have timing. There is a way to program the cleaning of different rooms for each day of the week with the 7 storable timers. This can be set to single or multiple, more than once every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and so on, the same rooms will be cleaned by the robot.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 21

On the map, we can select no go zones that the vacuum cleaner can’t put its foot on, or I want to say its wheel. For example, when mopping, you can select carpets so that you do not want to mop them.

But not only can we designate a no go zone, but also ones where cleaning is needed occasionally.

Suppose you drop a glass from the dining table. We collect the larger pots, then use the vacuum cleaner to clean the area in a targeted way, and even if we want to clean it twice with the “Secondary cleaning” function mentioned above, so that no shards of glass can be accidentally left in.

 

As you can see, we can expect quite an insane amount of ability from VIOMI SE, but to make sure that isn’t enough, it’s also as easy to manage and the software that comes with it as a slap.


 

Software, installation, setup

The VIOMI SE vacuum cleaner is installed under the Xiaomi Mi Home telephone application. The installation itself is very easy! Press the Home and power buttons on the top of the machine at the same time to reset the wifi settings. Then we click on the + button in the upper right corner of the application and the program will automatically search for the new smart device, (in this case the vacuum cleaner). Then all we have to do is go through the wizard, specify in which room we will place the machine (living room, bedroom, etc.) and we are ready, the first cleaning can start!

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 22

I have already written several times about the Mi Home application in my articles. Easy to use and transparent interface, the language is English, but after a single setup, everything will go like a hoop. Through this interface, we can operate our smartphones, sensors, and now the vacuum cleaner as well.

You can see the installation process in the video at the beginning of this article!

With the settings of the vacuum cleaner you don't have to flirt a lot anyway, most of the time, but it can only be measured in 10 minutes, we will spend with the map. So it really doesn’t have to scare anyone, I had an acquaintance who didn’t have a shot of the whole thing and set up the machine in 5 minutes with a little phone help.


 

Experiences

I should write the best things here, but unfortunately I can’t report too much on everything. If anyone has seen a perfect structure, they know why.

Xiaomi VIOMI SE - the best laser robot vacuum cleaner of the autumn 23

VIOMI SE knows everything and knows everything that the specification promises. He comes and goes, cleans, wipes, doesn’t make mistakes. He already has his voice at maximum suction power, but that’s not particularly disturbing either, not the annoying scream that some vacuum cleaners know. In the quietest mode, but especially if we only use mop, it glides like a ghost in the apartment.

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If you get used to using it, you will understand why I am so fond of these machines. You get home from work and nowhere the mud, nowhere the crumbs that fell during breakfast. You weren't home either, and the machine cleaned up for you. It's just icing on the cake that you can follow it all remotely, via your phone, you can see where you are in the apartment, how much battery power it is, when you finish cleaning.

If you don’t use the timer, you can do it when you get to your workplace, remotely, start cleaning over the internet, or give it special tasks like going out to the kitchen and wiping it off.

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I also have good advice, but these are not specifically for VIOMI, but for all robotic vacuum cleaners in general!

  1. Put it in order! Don’t leave a dice or two out of your child’s double on the mat because the machine will go up on the sharp-edged plastic cube and then get stuck.
  2. If possible, twist the cables together. These machines usually do well with the cables winding on the ground, but the devil is not sleeping.
  3. Before you let it clean at home for the first time, let it go around when you’re at home too. This is how you realize which obstacles are an insurmountable task for the machine, a Tom Cruise does not live in it to successfully complete the impossible missions. For example, the toilet threshold may be only one inch inward and three inches high, if so, the machine will get stuck inside the toilet.
  4. Pay attention to carpets with long fringes. The roller brush can wind these up and the machine gets stuck. If you want to be sure, fold the long tassels at the ends under the rug before cleaning.

And that's about it!


 

Summary

VIOMI SE I feel could be the hit vacuum this fall. As the article shows, it’s just as smart as the VIOMI V3 that costs twice as much, though, we have to pay the cheaper price with a slightly weaker engine and a smaller capacity battery, as well as a lack of dust and water tanks.

Importantly, these discounts do not affect the use of the machine, its software capabilities, the number of its sensors at all. In other words, for less than 100 thousand forints, we get a machine with almost the same capacity as the most expensive design.

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Fortunately, we can order VIOMI SE not from China, but from a German warehouse, with free delivery. In my case, this meant that so far, all VIOMI vacuum cleaners ordered from abroad arrived in 7 working days, in fact, there were some that I ordered on Monday and already on Thursday night I was fidgeting with the settings.

Of course, due to the European warehouse, we do not have to reckon with the payment of customs duties or VAT!

At the moment, I don't know about the Xiaomi laser vacuum cleaner, which is cheaper than 117 thousand forints at home, compared to that, the 62 thousand forints price of VIOMI SE seems like a gift, and that's why they really ask for it!

Here you can buy:

VIOMI SE laser robotic vacuum cleaner - Coupon code: VIOMISEDF - HUF 62

 

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About the Author

s3nki

Owner of the HOC.hu website. He is the author of hundreds of articles and thousands of news. In addition to various online interfaces, he has written for Chip Magazine and also for the PC Guru. For a time, he ran his own PC shop, working for years as a store manager, service manager, system administrator in addition to journalism.