The Robot vacuum Mk I is the cheapest way to earn while you are elsewhere. Its robot sweeps the two rings of hexes around the dock, 19 in all, brings the dust home, and the dock packs it into capsules on a conveyor belt. It needs no power. With the $50 Building tool and a 30 m belt, a first robot line costs about $315.
The dock puts its capsules on a conveyor belt to the hub
Where to place a robot vacuum
- Pick ground where most of the 19 hexes around the dock are still dirty, not the area beside the station you already swept.
- Leave room next to the dock for its outgoing belt.
- Keep it away from other robot docks so their areas do not overlap.
- Check how far the belt has to run to the hub; a slightly closer site is often cheaper overall.
- When its area is clean, build the next one on fresh ground instead of waiting for it to move.
Robot vacuum not producing income
A robot that cleans while your balance stays put is almost always a delivery problem: follow its capsules and see where they stop. Players with this problem were told to try a different hub port. A robot that has stopped moving has simply finished its area. Later on, players and one Steam guide call robot vacuums slow next to J.O.O.N.A.S. and the bigger vehicles, so treat them as early income.