WiFi-enabled Roomba will spend more time cleaning, less time bumping into furniture
Roomba 980 will use a camera to map your house's layout
All hail the Wi-Fi-equipped Roomba 980.
Just announced, this new addition to iRobot’s robotic vacuum line-up aims to keep your furniture and walls dent-free, as it uses its web connection and camera to build a map of your home. The new Roomba will use visual localisation and cloud-connected app controls to skilfully navigate your floors, scoping out the positions of furniture and fittings.
It’s even outfitted with sensors, allowing it to adjust its cleaning patterns to avoid random obstructions or recently moved items of furniture. It even knows what type of surface it’s trundling over, doubling its suction power when it passes over carpets, and iRobot claims it’s also able to detect particularly large piles of dirt. A full battery charge allows the robo-cleaner two hours of operating time before automatically returns to its charging station.
The Roomba 980 isn’t going to be cheap, being priced at US$899 (£580), but Roomba lovers might appreciate fewer Roomba-made scuffs on the walls.
Erna Mahyuni
Contributor 