missing person report
“Who saw our Fluffy?” Vacuum robot makes off and is searched for on Facebook
For two days, shop owner Ingrid Pruckner searched for the escaped vacuum robot “Fluffy”.
© Wieselburger Schmankerlladen / DPA
If you didn’t pay attention for a moment, then it happened: The vacuum robot is gone. “Fluffy” disappeared for two days before being found in a dumpster.
It’s a pity that vacuum robots can’t speak – otherwise “Fluffy” would certainly have a lot to report. Above all, he could explain the reasons for his disappearance, when so many people have been worried about him. Normally, the runaway cleans at the Wieselburger Schmankerlladen, a small grocery store in Austria. However, on the morning of January 24, when he was given the chance to escape, he interrupted his duty. What happened?
During an automatic test run of the electric sliding door, the door to freedom opened for the little one for a few moments. Apparently bored with the same route in Ingrid Pruckner’s store, the Lefant vacuum robot seized the opportunity and ran away. The security cameras recorded the journey into the unknown for posterity.
Energy reserves allocated incorrectly
Strengthened by his newly acquired freedom, the surprisingly smart household helper moved further and further from his home and took over the work from the street cleaners for a while. But on his journey, he made a serious mistake: he had gone out of range of his charging station and the energy was slowly running out. And so the brave cleaning devil didn’t make it back.
Concerned about the whereabouts of the beloved Reinemacher, its owner Ingrid Pruckner started a search campaign on Facebook after an unsuccessful search in the immediate vicinity of the shop. It reads: “Who saw our Fluffy?” The request follows: “If anyone has seen him, please let us know – we are very grateful for every tip!” The comments under the call show the vacuum robot relaxing on a Caribbean island, enjoying his retirement. But did he really make it this far? Or did the stray freeze to death in a dark corner?
In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Pruckner explains what happened next. The visit to the municipal office, i.e. the lost and found office, was unsuccessful. On the contrary: probably because Ms. Pruckner had already asked about her stolen mailbox there in May 2021, the worried shopkeeper was smiled at. She was now slowly running the risk of having to vacuum the shop more and more by hand. But then finally came the saving grace.
Invalidated and disposed of – how mean!
A woman took to Facebook and said she saw a black thing matching the description driving down the road at dawn. But it could have been any vacuum robot, so she wasn’t sure if it was the one she was looking for. But she still remembered the spot where he collapsed exhausted. And indeed: it was found in a container nearby after a community worker had disposed of it there.
All’s well that ends well? Nearly. Fluffy is finally back in his charging station, but the wet and salty streets of Wieselburg have gotten to him. According to the owner, it no longer charges completely and only drives in confused circles. Must be postsuctionmatic stress disorder. The only thing that helps is going to a therapist – pardon me – an electrician.
Source:Southgerman newspaper