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Turn your Roomba's travels into 'Doom' maps
Game developer Rich Whitehouse has found a rather unusual way to celebrate Doom's 25th anniversary: make your robot vacuum pay tribute. The industry veteran has developed a script for the game data conversion tool Noesis that translates the floor maps from Roombas to playable maps for the original Doom -- yes, of course it's called Doomba. You'll have to specifically record the robot's journeys for this to work (you can merge files if the run is interrupted), but it can otherwise whip up a hellish version of your home with minimal effort.
Google and iRobot team up to better map your home
Your Roomba's home mapping could be useful for more than more effective cleaning. Google and iRobot have formed a partnership to improve smart home technology using consumer robots. The two will find "additional ways" to link their platforms beyond Google Assistant control, including the possibility of using a Roomba's map-based spatial awareness to "simplify home setup" and foster "powerful new automations."
Dyson's second robot vacuum isn't afraid of the dark
It's been three years since the launch of Dyson's very own robot vacuum, the 360 Eye, and our very own Mat Smith was left impressed when he briefly lived with one in his old Tokyo apartment. That said, the machine wasn't perfect, but Dyson believes that its follow-up model will solve many key problems. The 360 Heurist announced in Beijing earlier today is a familiar-looking robot packed with some notable upgrades. For one, it's powered by a quad-core 1.4GHz processor, which is apparently 20 times faster than what was on its predecessor. According to the company, this helps the machine pick up 60 percent more detail about the environment, thus reducing the chances of bumping into things by 50 percent. Hopefully this also means fewer instances of misaligned docking.
Neato robot vacuum can map multiple floors of your home
Robot vacuums can frequently map a floor of your home to clean without much fuss. But if you aren't living in an apartment or bungalow, you probably have multiple floors -- where's the robovac for that? Neato thinks it can oblige. It's releasing a software update to the Botvac D7 Connected that lets its automated cleaner create maps for up to three floors. You'll still have to haul the robot up and down the stairs, but that beats buying another model just to avoid breaking out conventional cleaning tools. Neato is selling stand-alone charging stations (currently $40 each) to save you from moving the power source every time.
The best robot vacuums
By Liam McCabe This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the original article here. After running more than 90 cleaning cycles with 14 of the most promising robot vacuums in 2017, we think the EcoVacs Deebot N79 is the best choice for most people who want a basic, affordable bot that can actually keep their floors tidy. The Deebot N79 is nimble enough to navigate most homes without getting stuck often—and that's what really makes most bot owners happy. Its battery life is the longest we've seen, it runs the quietest, and it has one of the better control schemes we've seen for the price—including Wi-Fi and a smartphone app. It works best on short carpet and bare floors, in areas smaller than 1,200 square feet, with only modest amounts of pet hair—limitations that stronger, smarter, pricier bots don't have. But the Deebot N79 is the best of the affordable robot vacuums, and if you run it at least a few times per week, it can keep your floors free of obvious debris with very little effort on your part. EcoVacs also makes a newer, more-expensive version of this robot called the Deebot N79S. It's basically the same as the old one, but it works with Alexa voice commands and has an option where you can boost the suction. That feature reduces the battery run time, though, and we found that as a result of that trade-off, it picks up a similar amount of debris per session. We'd spend our own money on the older Deebot N79, in the interest of saving a few dollars. But the newer Deebot N79S does work well, if you think the voice-command functionality is worth paying extra.
Roomba robotic vacuums now follow IFTTT instructions
If Roomba vacuums are going to feel like they're truly part of your connected home, they need to do more than dutifully clean your floors on a set schedule. Thankfully, iRobot is helping them do just that. It just added IFTTT "recipes" that tell Roomba robots when to clean or to interact with other devices. You can tell your robovac to start cleaning when you leave or stop when you get home, for starters. However, the cleverest tricks come when the robot interacts with the outside world. You can tweet to your Roomba to start a command, or have it post to Facebook or Twitter when it's done. You can even have it flash your Hue lights or play music (on Android devices) when it's finished, in case there's something you need to do immediately afterwards.
Samsung's new robot vacuums banish Darth Vader to cleaning duty
If you've lamented the lack of Star Wars-themed home cleaning appliances, then Samsung has just the robot vacuums for you. Today they announced limited editions of their POWERbot VR7000 vacuum cleaner inspired by the iconic sci-fi franchise. There are two different designs: Darth Vader retails for $799, while his Stormtrooper counterpart retails for $699. You can preorder both now at the Samsung website; the estimated ship date is November 5th at the time of writing.
iRobot starts a patent war over robot vacuums (update: ITC case)
It's getting nasty in the robot vacuum arena. iRobot has filed lawsuits against Bissell, Black & Decker, Bobsweep, iLife and Hoover for allegedly violating several patents for the concept of an autonomous room-cleaning robot. The company "will not stand by" as rivals "infringe on our intellectual property" by making similar competing machines, according to a statement. We've reached out to the companies targeted by the lawsuits and will let you know how they're responding, although it's safe to say they aren't likely to roll over.
Neato's latest robot vacuums are much more affordable
If you like the concept of Neato's WiFi-linked robot vacuum but feel that $699 is too rich for your blood, you're in luck. Neato is unveiling two more affordable Botvac models, the $399/£399 D3 Connected (above) and $599/£549 D5 Connected, that promise WiFi and the core cleaning features at better prices. The D3 still has mobile app access and laser-guided navigation, but trims costs through a lower-capacity battery, a basic filter and fewer features -- you won't get the high-end model's boundary markers, eco/turbo modes, manual drive, spiral and side brushes or on-robot scheduling. Move up to the D5 and you'll get the battery, brush and filter upgrades as well as boundary markers. Also, only the D5 has in-app cleaning stats and a Find Me locator right now. Those are coming to the Botvac Connected flagship later, but won't be available at all for the D3.
Xiaomi's robot vacuum sucks more than its peers
Xiaomi has yet to make a dent in the Western world, but back in China, it continues to expand its presence with smartphones and smart home products -- the latest of which being the Mi Robot Vacuum announced today. This is the first device coming out of a Mi Ecosystem startup dubbed Rockrobo, and it already claims to have a higher suction rating (1,800 Pa) than the likes of iRobot's Roomba 980 (1,670 Pa) or Neato's Botvac D8500 (1,000 Pa), partly thanks to the same brushless motor supplier used by the Roomba. Best of all, Xiaomi is selling this for just 1,699 yuan or about $250, which is a steal when compared to the $900 Roomba.
The Roomba 960 is iRobot's cheaper app-driven robot vacuum
The $900 WiFi-connected Roomba 980 is pretty exorbitant for many folks, nice as it is, so Robot has launched the $700 Roomba 960. The new model has a less powerful motor and battery, but retains the WiFi connectivity, floor mapping and app control of the high-end model. The price is the same as Neato's BotVac Connected, so it could sway techy users who really want the extra control a smartphone brings. By contrast, the cheapest, non-connected Roomba 650 is $375.
Dyson opens first UK store as £800 robot vacuum goes on sale
If there's one thing Dyson knows best, it's hoovers. And while the company may've been late to making a little robot that does the cleaning for you, Dyson's 360 Eye is easily one of the best you can buy. Now, after debuting in Japan late last year, the vacuuming automaton is available in the UK from today. Features such as a 360-degree camera, obsessive cleaning methodology and activity reports don't come cheap, though. The 360 Eye can be found on Dyson's site for £800, and that price also includes a nice company rep that'll pop over and set the thing up for you.
Dyson's $1,200 robotic vacuum is expensive, but also the best
Dyson is very confident about its new vacuum. Then again, with this price, it has to be. On sale now in Japan for just shy of 150,000 yen ($1,200), the 360 Eye is the company's first robotic model -- although it's not for lack of trying. It might be worth the wait, though: It actually cleans like you always hoped a robot vacuum would. It's so good, in fact, that I might have to fire my Roomba.
Dyson's big, heavy, complicated robot vacuum that never was
Introduced to the public way back in 2004, Dyson's first robot vacuum never wheeled itself into retail. While it was apparently close enough to a finished product to pick up a sticker with a helpline number, the sheer number of sensors (over 70), and a total of 54 batteries was a problem. While it could detect stationary objects and living things it was too expensive to both produce or sell. As Dyson's senior robot engineer, Mike Aldred, noted: "It did the job we intended... but it wasn't the right product." The decision was made to can the DC06, and the team decided to focus on a single (albeit complicated) sensor to guide its robot vacuums: 360-degree vision. And that's where Dyson's 360 Eye comes in. It's a bit late, but from our early experiences with it, it sucks -- In the good way. And if you've got a thing for yellow and millennial-gray plastic, a gallery of the rare (hefty) robot vacuum awaits below.
Why Dyson's pricey robot vacuum is late for its Japanese debut
We warned that Dyson's first robot vacuum was going to put all that cyclone technology to use on your wallet's contents and we weren't wrong. After a hefty half-year delay, the 360 Eye robot vacuum goes on sale in Japan today priced at 138,000 yen -- before tax! That's around $1,150. Cutting-edge robot house cleaners that take care of themselves apparently demand high salaries (just ask Rosie). Dyson's 360 Eye has undergone a handful of minor changes, both in the hardware and software, to prepare it for its first customers: the Japanese. My biggest takeaway? Dyson thinks the 360 Eye knows its way around cleaning a room even better than you, you big ole' irrational human.
Why Dyson's robot vacuum took 16 years, and why it's headed to Japan first
Dyson almost launched a robot vacuum. Back in 2001, after three years in development. Its first effort, shown to the British public in London looked nothing (and we mean nothing) like the eventual 360 Eye unveiled today. Sixteen years is a long time in tech. The DC06, as it was called, never made it past home-trial stages in 2012 -- apparently too pricey and heavy. Between then and now, technology got better. A lot better. At the Tokyo launch of its new robot vacuum, Sir James Dyson himself, told us how it all came together, and why it's not his native UK, but Japan, that'll get to buy it first.
Dyson's first robot vacuum promises more suction than the competition
Sixteen years and nearly $47 million in the making, Dyson's unveiled its first robot vacuum cleaner: the 360 Eye. The company says it's packing more cleaning power than any other robot vacuum currently on the market, but you'll have probably noted that such improvements has also made it a fair bit taller than incumbents like iRobot's Roomba. The WiFi-connected vacuum will arrive alongside a smartphone app that'll allow you to schedule sessions for when you're not at home yourself: it'll clean up your mess for up to 20 minutes before returning (autonomously, of course) to charge. Being Dyson, though, it's all about the engineering decisions made inside -- and they look something like this.
Dyson's incoming robot vacuum is called the 360 Eye and it looks like this
That robotic vacuum cleaner that Dyson teased a few days ago? It's arriving -- and soon it's here! Thanks to a kind tipster, we were able to get a quick look at the device called the Dyson 360 Eye, which will apparently be revealed in earnest later today. As the image above suggests, it's a similar shape to existing robot vacuums, but arrives equipped with a 360-degree camera. It can apparently wheel around vacuuming your house for 20 minutes, before it needs to get back to a vertically-mounted (extremely classy), glass and acrylic charging station. According to our source, it's a follow-up to a Dyson vacuum cleaner called the DC06 from a decade ago, which was never released as it carried a very hefty $16,500 price tag. The 360 Eye won't be exactly cheap either, we hear, but the tipster reckons it'll be a lot more affordable at around $1,650. They added that it will be available in Japan first, but will roam carpets and corridors in the US and the UK soon after. Expect to hear more later today. [Thanks, anonymous tipster!]
Neato Robotics' XV-21 vacuum sucks up pet hair and allergens, looks like a new-age SNES
Sure, iRobot may have a strong presence in the impending robot apocolypse world of autonomous vacuum cleaners, but lest we forget about the others like Neato Robotics. The company's introducing the retro-futuristic XV-21 Pet and Allergy Vacuum for those of us wanting rid our domains of sniffle-inducing dust particles. Although the XV-21 looks similar to last year's XV-12, it features a new filter for improved airflow and suction, which Neato claims will catch three-times as many tiny bits around your domain as its normal kit. If that wasn't enough, the cleaner is also loaded with newly developed bristled brush to aid in sweeping up the likes of pet hair while keeping its noise levels to a minimum. If you're ready to leave the cleaning to the bots, this little guy is set to hit shelves in late April for $429 alongside a $60 Pet and Allergy kit packed with the filter (30 bucks on its own) and brush. Current Neato owners shouldn't fret either, as the add-ons are compatible with all of the company's vacuums, requiring only an upgrade to the latest firmware via USB. You'll find the full details in the press release after the break.
Neato's XV-12 robot vacuum cleans your floors dressed in white for $400
It cleans, it's hackable and has a laser guidance system -- what more could you ask of your Neato Robotics vacuum cleaner? You want it to assassinate those dust bunnies while dressed in white? Well then, you'll want to check out the company's latest offering, the XV-12. This successor to the XV-11 automated sucker doesn't appear to add much in the features department, but it does get a shiny new coat of "misty white" paint and is available exclusively through Target for $400. The big selling points here are still the constantly updating room maps that the XV series creates using lasers mounted on top and what the company claims is the "strongest suction available in any robotic vacuum cleaner." For some more details check out the PR after the break.
