A robotic vacuum cleaner generally sacrifices power for convenience, so don't expect Dyson’s 360 Eye to replace a full-fledged dirt-sucker. Like Roomba, it’s made for light daily cleaning. Still, with a 78,000 RPM motor, Dyson claims it should provide twice the suction of the average robo-cleaner.

Cooler still, it has an all-seeing eyeball. The 360 Eye is named for the R2-D2-like dome and the 360-degree camera inside. The 'bot uses the camera to map cleaning patterns of concentric squares and straight lines, unlike the Roomba's more chaotic routes. Use the Dyson Link app to schedule cleanings and see a map of what has and hasn't been cleaned.

The brush goes right to the edges of the machine, letting the 360 Eye clean closer to walls, and cone elements inside whip dirt into a cyclone. The suction is augmented by carbon fiber and nylon brushes that dig deep to loosen grit.

Dyson says all of this makes the 360 Eye more effective on hard floors and carpets, and tank treads help it move between the two. As our video shows, however, it won't work miracles. Although powerful for its size and type, it's not nearly as potent as Dyson's 110,000 RPM handheld V8 vacuum.

While it’s lighter and smaller around, the vacuum is taller than a Roomba. That’s something to keep in mind if you have low-slung furniture. And you'll get about a half-hour of cleaning from the battery, compared to an hour-plus from the Roomba—but it’ll return to its dock to top off before finishing the job. Its bin is smaller than those of the higher-end Roombas, and twice the suction power means you’ll probably empty it more often.1

It'll set you back $1,000, which means the 360 Eye costs $100 more than the top-of-the-line Roomba 980. As to whether it’s as fun to ride, cats did not respond to a request for comment.

1UPDATE 7/28/2016: This story has been updated to correct information about the size of the Dyson Eye 360's dust bin.