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Dyson’s robo-vac goes on sale in Japan for an eye-popping price

Dyson’s robo-vac goes on sale in Japan for an eye-popping price

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Last September, Dyson finally unveiled its futuristic-looking robot vacuum cleaner: the 360 Eye. Now, the autonomous bot is finally going on sale, but only, unfortunately, in Japan. The 360 Eye will be available from Dyson's flagship Omotesando store in Tokyo from this Friday (October 23rd) before hitting stores nationwide the following Monday.

the 360 eye had to be adapted to Japanese architecture

Dyson says the cleaner will go sale in other markets some time in 2016, but isn't offering any firm dates. However, the delayed launch in Japan (it was originally meant to go on sale in the spring) isn't exactly promising. Dyson, however, says this was due to the need to fine-tune the product, improving battery life and reducing noise. The company says it also had to teach the robo-vac not to fall down genkan — a traditional Japanese entryway where shoes are removed and that are usually a step lower than the rest of the floor.

The 360 Eye also looks to be pretty expensive. According to a report from Gizmodo Japan, the robot cleaner will be going on sale in the country for ¥138,000 before tax — around $1,150. By comparison, iRobot's flagship Roomba 980 sells for $899.99. We'll just have to wait and see if the 360 Eye's performance is worth the extra cash.