Nexus

2025

Interaction Design

This project explores the gap between the promise of effortless convenience offered by robotic vacuums and the frustrating reality of complex apps and confusing physical controls that users currently face. The goal was to analyze these interaction failures and propose a redesign that delivers on the original promise: a truly simple, intuitive and set it and forget it cleaning experience.

Design Process

What’s in a Robotic Vacuum Cleaner?

Environment

Multi story rooms

Messy Floors

Door frame Threshold

Carpets and Rugs

Floor touching Curtains

Delicate Objects

Comparison with a Maid

Cost: The robot has a higher upfront cost but is cheaper over three years (~₹69k) than a maid (~₹1.08L).
Performance: It provides 24/7 on-demand, consistent cleaning, while a maid has a fixed schedule with variable quality and reliability.
Function: A maid can perform various household chores; the robot is limited to vacuuming and mopping floors.
Privacy & Resources: The robot ensures total privacy and uses minimal water (~300ml), unlike a maid who requires trust and uses significantly more (10-20 Liters).

Cost: The robot has a higher upfront cost but is cheaper over three years (~₹69k) than a maid (~₹1.08L).
Performance: It provides 24/7 on-demand, consistent cleaning, while a maid has a fixed schedule with variable quality and reliability.
Function: A maid can perform various household chores; the robot is limited to vacuuming and mopping floors.
Privacy & Resources: The robot ensures total privacy and uses minimal water (~300ml), unlike a maid who requires trust and uses significantly more (10-20 Liters).

User Research

Model - Eureka Forbes Lvac Voice Pro
Task - Setting Up

Conclusions

1. Purchase & Usage Context

Motivation: Convenience; a backup for when maids are unavailable.
Usage Pattern: A supplement to maids, not a replacement.

1. Purchase & Usage Context

Motivation: Convenience; a backup for when maids are unavailable.
Usage Pattern: A supplement to maids, not a replacement.

2. The Digital Experience

Connectivity: Unreliable app connectivity is a major pain point.
Setup: The initial setup process is often complex.

2. The Digital Experience

Connectivity: Unreliable app connectivity is a major pain point.
Setup: The initial setup process is often complex.

3. Cleaning Performance

Sweeping: Highly effective and praised by users.
Mopping: Inefficient and a critical point of failure.
Environment: Often requires users to modify their homes to prevent issues.

3. Cleaning Performance

Sweeping: Highly effective and praised by users.
Mopping: Inefficient and a critical point of failure.
Environment: Often requires users to modify their homes to prevent issues.

3. Cleaning Performance

Sweeping: Highly effective and praised by users.
Mopping: Inefficient and a critical point of failure.
Environment: Often requires users to modify their homes to prevent issues.

3. Cleaning Performance

Sweeping: Highly effective and praised by users.
Mopping: Inefficient and a critical point of failure.
Environment: Often requires users to modify their homes to prevent issues.

User Persona

Aarti Desai
DINK Couple

Age: 36
Occupation: Senior HR
Family: Husband, parents occasionally visit
Residence: 2 BHK flat

Aarti Desai
DINK Couple

Age: 36
Occupation: Senior HR
Family: Husband, parents occasionally visit
Residence: 2 BHK flat

The User Spectrum

Busy Professionals & Students.

Families with Children & Pets.

Users with Potential Mobility Challenges.

Problems Identified

High Priority

Unclear physical controls for power and setup.
Confusing app interface with ambiguous labels and poor hierarchy.
Lack of proactive alerts for maintenance like full bags or filter changes.

High Priority

Unclear physical controls for power and setup.
Confusing app interface with ambiguous labels and poor hierarchy.
Lack of proactive alerts for maintenance like full bags or filter changes.

Medium Priority

Overly long and complex setup process.
Poor physical design of components like the water tank.
Unintuitive app icons and vague labels for cleaning levels.

Medium Priority

Overly long and complex setup process.
Poor physical design of components like the water tank.
Unintuitive app icons and vague labels for cleaning levels.

Low Priority

Ambiguous device feedback, such as confusing blinking lights.
Poorly designed maintenance parts, like ill-fitting dust bags.
Requires manual floor preparation, breaking the promise of full autonomy.

Low Priority

Ambiguous device feedback, such as confusing blinking lights.
Poorly designed maintenance parts, like ill-fitting dust bags.
Requires manual floor preparation, breaking the promise of full autonomy.

Why do people buy a robotic vacuum cleaner?

CONVENIENCE

What do people like about a robotic vacuum cleaner?

CONSISTENCY

How does a robotic vacuum cleaner work?

AUTONOMOUSLY

Design Brief

To design a unified interface that seamlessly connects an autodocking robotic vacuum cleaner with its companion app, enabling intuitive control of autonomous functions and providing proactive feedback on maintenance needs.

Ideations

Moodboard

SIMPLE & POWERFUL

Nexus

Nexus binds the promise of robotic vacuums and the reality of their confusing user experience.

It introduces a principle of Guided Autonomy, redesigning critical interactions to be truly intuitive.

A central Command Dial makes the setup process direct, with its simple language mirrored in the app for a harmonious experience.

Maintenance is also made effortless, featuring a bottom-opening dirt tray for direct disposal, redesigned water tanks with better handles and level indicators, and a spill-proof soap container.

Nexus App

Live Status: Monitor battery, area covered, and cleaning time.

Smart Mapping: Edit rooms and set custom No-Go & No-Mop zones.
Custom Cleaning: Adjust suction power for vacuuming and water levels for mopping.
Effortless Control: Swipe to clean, pause, or stop on command.

Live Status: Monitor battery, area covered, and cleaning time.

Smart Mapping: Edit rooms and set custom No-Go & No-Mop zones.
Custom Cleaning: Adjust suction power for vacuuming and water levels for mopping.
Effortless Control: Swipe to clean, pause, or stop on command.

Dimensions

Prototype

This is a 1:1 physical prototype of Nexus, a fully automated robotic cleaning system.

The design features a cohesive docking station and robot, unified by a modern, experimental speckled finish.
The station is engineered for self-sufficiency, incorporating a dual-tank system and liquid soap container for mopping, an auto-empty dustbin and a top-mounted LiDAR and Camera on the robot for intelligent navigation.

This is a 1:1 physical prototype of Nexus, a fully automated robotic cleaning system.

The design features a cohesive docking station and robot, unified by a modern, experimental speckled finish.
The station is engineered for self-sufficiency, incorporating a dual-tank system and liquid soap container for mopping, an auto-empty dustbin and a top-mounted LiDAR and Camera on the robot for intelligent navigation.

Thank you Adrija for the team effort!

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