Self-emptying docks trade money for weeks of freedom — and floor space

A self-emptying dock is a bet: pay more upfront and a larger footprint on your floor, in exchange for ignoring the robot for weeks.

Without the dock you’re emptying a tiny bin every run or two. With it, the debris gets pulled into a larger container you touch maybe once a month. The trade-off is real — both in money and the square footage the base occupies — but once you go self-emptying, it’s hard to go back.