Beatbot AquaSense X Review: A Pool Robot That Cleans Itself

So, you’ve taken the leap and invested in a pool robot. The robot cleans the pool. But then, who cleans the robot? Surprise! You do.

That’s the calculus that has saddled pool-cleaning robots since the beginning, and it’s an awfully tough one to wriggle away from. Just like your terrestrial vacuum cleaner, all that debris has to end up somewhere. With pool robots, that invariably involves an onboard filter that requires your attention each time you retrieve the device.

But what if you didn’t have to clean out that filter basket by hand? What if it could clean itself? Numerous manufacturers have been working on this very problem for years, and while demos and prototypes have been commonplace, none have made it to market until now. With Beatbot’s AquaSense X, self-cleaning technology is finally here.

Sort of.

Introducing AstroRinse

The AquaSense X isn’t in itself self-cleaning. That job comes courtesy of a second device—which is packaged in an even bigger, heavier box than the robot—that does the job. The AstroRinse station is a massive machine, 42 pounds on its own, reminiscent of an industrial printer with its squared-off design and telescoping arm hovering above. The AquaSense robot in turn sits on top of the AstroRinse, which handles both cleanout of the debris filter and charging duties for its upstairs neighbor.

It’s up to you to put all this together, and users who don’t want to wrestle with screwdrivers, wrenches, and hoses may find the process a little daunting. The “quick start” guide contains a full 16 steps to get everything up and running, and I spent about half an hour getting things positioned.

Most of that time involves getting the AstroRinse station connected and configured. Stepping through the entire process would take all day, but the highlights of setup include attaching the cleaning arm to the chassis with four included hex nuts (a screwdriver is also included), then connecting two hoses, one for water input and one for drainage. The input hose has to connect to a standard hose spigot (a splitter is included in the box if you need one), while the short drain line just needs a place to empty out the used water. The included input hose is only 12 feet long, so you’ll need to locate it near a water source or add your own extension hose to the mix.