We live in an age of robot cleaners scouring our floors for us with virtually no intervention. It takes a special vacuum cleaner to make you want to go back to using your arms again. But the DC44 Digital Slim vacuum is worth a look if you're considering a Roomba—because this vacuum might actually be a better solution.

You'd normally use a vacuum cleaner to suck up bits of paper, but instead, Vax's next vacuum body will be made from corrugated cardboard, as a nod to the environment. The panels will actually pop out of the retail box it's sold in, meaning there's even less waste than you'd expect.

Vacuums are old. Roombas are old. So who cares about a Roomba? When the latter can finally kick the former to the tech trash pile, we care. The dream of having a robot (effectively!) be my personal maid is alive.

This vacuum cleaner concept from Hyun-Seok Kim utilizes 4 robotic "puppies" as the vacuum cleaners, they run around the house and clean up everything they can get their clean paws on. The base station is designed as a "mommy dog", as it re-charges the puppies with power and gives them enough energy for the puppies to…

Lacking I may be in the domesticity gene, I can't help but want this latest Dyson vacuum cleaner. That's no surprise, though—I want everything Dyson makes, even this dog-vacuumer. I have a cat.

I wish I had some of the foresight of this patent-filer from back in '73. I wonder if she's cursing the day her dog-shaped vacuum failed to take off, now Dyson's launched their dog-grooming vacuum tool?

Roomba-riding cats are a real problem to society. Costing the taxpayer MILLIONS each year in emergency room visits, carpets are looking a right old state, with humans too scared to turn their robot vacuums on. Enter the cat-ejection Roomba add-on.

So goes the thinking behind Dyson's Groom tool, which connects to most of their vacuum cleaners and sucks up loose hair and dead skin. I'm guessing it could be used on other animals too—my cat better watch out.

Four months after boasting of vacuums made from recycled sea junk, Electrolux now has five colorful cleaners to show off. They're made from 70 per cent recycled plastics, with each cleaner's design representing the ocean the rubbish came from.

This is what happens when you let a radioactive snail in at night. Havoc! Luckily, Evolution Robotics' Mint cleaning robot did a darn good job cleaning up after it, as you can see from a long-exposure photo of its mopping.

France really does have the best thieves. This time, a group of bandits known as the "vacuum gang" has on a 15-store robbing spree using nothing but a drill and a powerful vacuum cleaner. It's Mission Impossible meets Martha Stewart.

Electrolux may be known for its outlandish concepts, but when their CEO promises to look into reclaiming the plastic waste from the ocean and turning it into vacuum cleaners, I can't help but believe him.

Weighing just 3.5kg, it's small enough to fit in your hand like a little kitten. It's about as powerful as other Dysons, so sucking up all those cat hairs shouldn't be too much of a problem for the City DC26.

Two men were working on a waterborne excavator when it collapsed and pinned one underwater—just deep enough to make breathing mostly impossible. Jumping into action, witness David Thomson ripped off his clothes and dove into the chilling waters to rescue the dying man, known only as John.

Here's a great lesson to teach your kids: Why walk when you can ride? But Kristina Andersson's design concept for a riding vacuum cleaner encourages the young 'uns to help out with the housework, even if it's at a snail's pace. Jump for one more pic.

Who needs that tired old Dirt Devil when you can have a Crumb Pet. Yes, the Crumb Pet not only picks up your dirt and foodstuffs, but it's shaped like a barnyard animal to boot. Get your bagless, battery-powered portable vacuum in the shape of a pig, cow or sheep for just about $10. It may not be overly useful, but…