iRobot has launched a new robotic vacuum cleaner to add to its Roomba range – this one can be told verbally when connected with smart home devices.
The new iRobot Roomba i7+ Robot Vacuum is said to learn a home’s floor plan and is capable of emptying itself.
iRobot says the new Roomba i7+ robot vacuum can “not only remember a home’s floor plan and clean specific rooms by name – but also automatically empties itself”.
The company says the new system integrates a container called “Clean Base”, which enables automatic dirt disposal.
The Roomba i7+ “brings a new level of intelligence and automation to robotic vacuum cleaners with the ability to learn, map and adapt to a home’s floor plan”, says iRobot.
Imprint Smart Mapping enables the Roomba i7+ to remember multiple floor plans and room names so users can customize cleaning jobs and direct the robot to clean specific rooms by voice or via the iRobot Home App.
When the Roomba i7+ robot vacuum is finished cleaning, it empties its own dustbin into the Clean Base, which holds 30 bins of dirt.
Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot, says: “With the ability to learn, adapt to and remember a home’s floor plan, and the introduction of automatic dirt disposal, the iRobot Roomba i7+ represents the most advanced robotic vacuum ever built.
“This robot delivers on the original vision we had when we embarked on the journey to build a vacuuming robot almost 20 years ago.”
iRobot says the new Roomba is “ushering in a new era of consumer robots”, and works with smart speakers such as Alexa-enabled devices and the Google Assistant.
iRobot claims it is the only robot vacuum that lets users clean specific rooms by name with a voice command.
Christian Cerda, COO of iRobot, says: “iRobot is addressing a long-standing customer call by giving Roomba the ability to empty its own bin after each cleaning.
“This enhances the customer experience by eliminating the dusty and dirty mess often associated with emptying vacuum canisters.
“With the ability to remember the home, clean specific rooms and empty itself when it’s finished, the Roomba i7+ with Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal quite literally frees customers from every aspect of vacuuming – from start to finish – for weeks at a time.”
The Roomba i7+ robot vacuum with Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal is available for pre-sale immediately in the US and Canada starting at $949, with shipments beginning September 12.
The Roomba i7+ will be available at select retailers beginning in October.
The Roomba i7 robot vacuum can also be purchased without the Clean Base starting at $699.
The Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal sold separately will retail for $299. Additional Dirt Disposal Bags can be purchased for $14.99 for a pack of three bags.
The Roomba i7+ with Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal is expected to be available in certain international markets early 2019.
Another device, the Roomba e5 robot vacuum, starts at $449 and will be available on www.irobot.com in the US and Canada beginning September 12.
