Abstract
This study examines how robotic vacuum cleaners became a common household item, with an aim to understand their “quotidianization” historically. First, fieldwork was conducted at the author’s house to investigate how people gradually became accustomed to a robot vacuum cleaner, which was initially viewed as a curiosity. The dynamic process applied reviewed the interaction between the various house elements holistically, rather than through just a fixed bilateral relationship between the device and its users. Additionally, from a historical perspective, it was confirmed that the spread of step-free floors to promote barrier-free access contributed toward the routine use of robot vacuum cleaners. Furthermore, robot vacuum cleaners are needed because people believe that dust mites and house dust should be removed, and this notion was also formed historically with the increase in awareness of allergies around the 1970s. Specifically, an analysis of newspaper narratives reveals that the issue of allergies relating to environmental problems and changes in living styles was widely discussed, such as the spread of air conditioning and increased insulation, leading to the notion that these invisible contaminants should be removed. In this way, it is possible to understand how this technology has become an everyday item in relation to various elements of life, suggesting this as one way to think about the issue of “quotidianization.”
