Today, iRobot showcased its latest robot vacuum dubbed the Roomba i7+ and it’s smart enough to be able to clean and empty itself.
In addition, unlike previous models, the i7+ utilizes a set of onboard sensors to map your home. Essentially, the robot will learn and remember your home’s layout with regard to the location of tables, chairs, desks, sofas, and other furniture.
The company designed their latest bot to be easier to use than older models. For example, the all-new charging base is designed to automatically clean the Roomba. Once the robot connects to the base, an Inception-like event occurs where the vacuum is, indeed, vacuumed. The base, which will ’hold around 30 cleanings’ worth of dirt’, sucks the debris from the i7+ into a self-contained bag.
What’s more, like the older robots, iRobot’s latest bot can be controlled via mobile app or voice assistant – e.g. Alexa. Since the i7+ knowns your house, in theory, commands such as “Alexa, tell Roomba to vacuum the living room,” should prompt the bot to do just that.
At present, iRobot is taking orders for the $949 Roomba i7+. A more economical variant dubbed the ‘i7’ (without the ‘+’) is also available for $699. The i7 doesn’t include the self-cleaning base.