ECOVACS DEEBOT N78 Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Doesn't seem like a very smart little guy. Doesn't really follow any logical patterns, just goes straight until it hits something and then turns and goes another way. During the course of it's duty, it does randomly spot clean (spiral) at times. I don't know if this is just the collision sensor glitching out or if it actually chooses to spot clean, but whatever. Through the course of its random tracking, it does seem to eventually cover everything before it returns to the charging dock. It doesn't have a great deal of suction power. For example, it's winter here and there were some large salt crystals in my doorway that it couldn't pick up, even on hardwood. It even missed a few pieces of lint from my comforter, so I was a little disappointed at that, but only at first. It also doesn't make a lot of noise, so I'm guessing if it had any more suction power it would be a lot louder. So why the 5 stars then if I've got several complaints? I saw this little guy shine after I decided to run my traditional vacuum and then run the Deebot. The bot's dirt trap was completely full of cat hair and dirt, even after I just ran my upright. So, it's clearly picking up a lot of debris, just not the big stuff. I still have to run the upright, but every-other week now rather than every few days. I'd call that a win! It does great avoiding obstacles so long as you follow manufacturer's recommendations as far as cables and loose rugs go. Transitions between my hardwood and carpet floors with ease. Haven't had any problems with it not returning to the dock to charge. After running it the first few times and having to move or rearrange things on which the bot got stuck, it doesn't get stuck anymore either. I can set it up to run while I'm at work and it's there on the dock every day when I get home. Overall, not all the bells and whistles of a Roomba, but also at half the price. Spent a few months going back and forth trying to decide if I wanted to buy and spent a bit of time shopping around. Couldn't find anything in this price range that had the auto docking feature and scheduled auto clean, and this was also the best rated bot at this price at the time I bought it. Could it be better? Of course. It could also get me beer from the fridge or play with the cat when she's bored and all up in my Kool-aid. Am I happy with what it can do? Yes. I gotta admit, it is a pretty cool little gadget! I'd say it's worth the buy, but just don't expect to never have to vacuum yourself again. Don't throw away that upright just yet. Added 1/28/17 So now that I've had Deebot for a while, I just wanted to add that it actually performs better than I first expected. I've only ran my upright one time since posting the initial review, and it is totally obvious that my floor is clean every time I get home from work. It stays clean with the Deebot, so it really does take a lot of the human element out of vacuuming. I only have to empty the trap every couple of days, clean the filter once a week. You'll notice that you want to run your upright more just because those places the Deebot can't reach are looking grimy more than the it not picking up stuff. Another added bonus for one as lazy as myself is that it forces you to keep your floors tidy so the bot doesn't get stuck while you're gone. More even because you really want it to finish cleaning before you get home because it gets a little obnoxious when it tries to clean around your feet. As far as the intelligence, I've noticed that after it makes its rounds and bumps into obstacles, it will then stop just before it hits them until it returns to the base, as if it remembers there's something there. If this is actually the case, it's not saving anything because it has to bump into everything all over again the next time it runs. I absolutely love my Deebot and would highly recommend, especially if you have pets. It's an instant talking point for any guests, and they'll all want one for themselves!