Q. My son has put together a robot that can be commanded on line from far, It carries a camera that can be moved to reach over five feet and move in all directions. The images we get on line are clear and can be focused to see things in detail.
We find impossible to do bedikat chametz at our cottage on the night of the bedika, since it is too far, and we are planning to visit the cottage on Chol Hamoed. Is it better to go to the cottage another prior night and do the bedika without a bracha, or can we use the robot? The cottage was thoroughly cleaned and the end of the summer. If permitted can we do a bracha?
A. You did not clarify if the homemade robot can open cupboards, closets or drawers, but it is unlikely
It is probably also limited in inspecting underneath or in the back of beds and the rear of a fridge, and other heavy furniture etc. etc. that requires some force. An then, what happens if he does find some chometz?
The use of robotic house cleaners and sweepers is common today, as is the inspecting of robots in warehouses, and their use for bomb disposal operations. Although, they may well serve as helpers in cleaning a house for Pesach, they obviously cannot replace the human abilities at this stage. (undoubtedly in the not so far future, this will become an important shailah)
Therefore, for now, Horav Shlomo Miller’s opinion is that you should travel earlier to the cottage and perform a proper bedikas chometz without a brocho.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit’a
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