I'm looking for a vacuum robot preferably under 500€ and with a cleaning station.
My main concern is that most robot vacuum providers seem to need to be connected to the internet.
Are there any providers that either don't need that, where I can block the internet connection or any other way not getting a spy in my home?
I'm fine with it if some work is needed
The problem is that they are closed off systems; you need to do full on reverse engineering to even understand what you are dealing with; plus there is the fact that these appliances are expensive and, unlike people modding consoles, there isn't mutch gained for the majority of users
+1 for Valetudo!
I've installed it once via OTA and twice by FEL. The OTA was obviously a breeze, but FEL wasn't that bad. I just watched videos on YouTube for the disassembly and took my time doing each step. I love the UI and the fact that I can SSH into them just for the sheer coolness of it! I think one great thing about it is that it doesn't affect the software that the robot uses for all its tasks and functions (e.g. vacuuming, mopping, sensors), just that it replaced the cloud and runs it on device.
No problem; do note that in most cases you are going to need to open the vacuum to access the serial interface; so make sure you are comfortable with doing that and that you have the necessary adapters... That last one bit me on numerous projects
I'd definitely recommended valetudo, but wanted to mention that eufy has some easily repairable non WiFi vacs that work reasonably well with no smart features. Eufy has a rough track record regarding privacy with their other smart products but can't spy without a connection.