The Great British Vacuum

European regulations banning powerful vacuum cleaners have now come into force. But, when Brexit finally does happen, the Great British vacuum will return.

Dyson took all his manufacturing to China in the late 90's. Since then the costs in China have risen and I believe he had started to return some to the UK. Modern technology may usher forth a new low energy-muted version that suits the EU regulations or alternatively somebody may decide that the UK market will stand on its own merit and continue to provide 'proper' suction machines for the job for a new pro-Brexit market globally. Who knows? Once again we see where the best of intentions collide with pragmatic necessity. Bureaucracy is a decease which by its very existence requires ever burgeoning output to sustain itself and proliferate. Almost akin to a fungus of sorts.

When the vacuum cleaner was first invented about 1900, it was a horse drawn contraption which was parked outside, and pipes fed in to the building to suck out the dirt. Since then, the development of consumer society has meant every household with it's own vacuum cleaner, a wasteful and over-complicated way of doing things.
To save all that time money and resources, choosing, buying and moving, emptying and fixing, dumping and recycling, a centralised system of one huge powerful vacuum, with pipes to all the houses might be better, like electric, water or gas supply.

There are so many pitfalls with your 'collective vacuum system' it sets my head reeling. Don't even go there. 1. Another monthly utility bill. 2. Abuse of the system. 3. Global disposal. 4. What about the robots - unemployment. And so it goes on. I suggest sleeping dogs complete with the abundance of dog hairs and allow the robots to proliferate during 'down-time' hours.

To replace existing, inefficient, 'own your own' vacuuming arrangement with an centralised system would be tricky. However, similar problems would appear if water gas or electric now had to be supplied from a centralised system which did not previously exist. Perhaps it would be practical for blocks of flats or office buildings to have a centralised vaccum. If such a system would, as you say, be open to abuse, that is beyond the limits of my imagination.

There are no limits to the imagination - not even yours. The next item in that trade i.e. carpet and linoleum cleaning of floor areas will inevitably be the self-automated floor vacuum one places centre of the room and that vacs all free areas by itself and empties itself into a prepared slot for detritus removal by vacuum chute. They will still need preparation work by humans and will still be some way off robot cleaners capable of doing all collectively. AI will have to advance somewhat before the job can be turned over fully to the robot. But it is all coming and far quicker than people realise. Like everything else in this world certain areas will proceed at a faster rate than the rest and nothing will become 'unique' in itself. Change of great worth will only become apparent in the generational sense. By example - the tub toilet is my generation and totally unknown or perceived by my grandchildren who have automatic flush pans which also 'perfume' the bathroom (bathroom - what's one of them?) upon completion of one's ablutions. Such is the divide and the perceptions gained.