With advanced smart technology, it cleverly cleans and empties even while you’re away
After working hard for years, the last thing you likely want to do is to spend time vacuuming the house, but would it make a difference if you have an automated intelligent companion like the new Wi-Fi connected iRobot Roomba i7+ Robot Vacuum? In the past you may have hesitated, thinking – I’ve looked at those before; the technology just wasn’t fully up for the job. Yes, they’re cute and cool but often lost their way and ran into a few roadblocks; pardon the pun, with their major purpose, getting your floors fully clean.
But that’s all changed. It might be the robot vacuum you’ve finally been waiting for.
It seems evident that as technology advances and after gaining experience from previous models iRobot went back to the drawing board and reimagined the ultimate Roomba. Itshows a better understanding how a robot vacuum can take the latest technology, understanding how we live adapting to our routines, while accommodating as best as possible a wide variety of floor plans and styles.
The newest model with companion iRobot Home app and 3rd generation intelligence continually learns the lay of the land – or in this case, your home as it cleans. And while at first it seems like it may be lost, it uses Imprint Smart Mapping to map its surroundings pegging individual landmarks keeping track of the area that’s already been covered and where it still needs to clean. It cleverly makes its way around and under furniture using itslatest iAdapt 3.0 Navigation system and an array of sensors. It gets better figuring out the best way to clean each room each time it does its rounds. You can see for yourself via the app’s history report.
Chances are you’ll be cleaning the same rooms again, so Roomba i7 also learns to identify those rooms, which, within the app, you can then label, like Kitchen, Living Room etc. You can even create virtual barriers, for example between a Living Room and Dining Room where there is no physical separation. And should you choose, if you have a smart device such as Google Home or Amazon Echo, with Roomba’s Google and Alexa integration, you’d be able to simply say, “Roomba, clean the Dining Room.”
It’s also designed to remember multiple floor plans so Roomba can figure out if it’s on another floor or at the summer cottage. If you prefer to use the app, you can easily set schedules, select rooms or manually start and stop cleaning from anywhere or anytime with your mobile device even when you’re not home.
While it looks more like a small flying saucer than a vacuum, don’t let its size or what it looks like fool you. It uses a 3-Stage Cleaning System with Dirt Detection sensors to ensure a decent clean. Also, instead of traditional rollers you find on most vacuum power headsthat forever get tangled up with hair and carpet, Roomba i7+ is equipped with Dual Multi-Surface Rubber Brushes – one lifts, one cleans as well as some serious power lifting suction to properly clean different types of floor surfaces in your home such as carpet, tile, vinyl or hardwood. It also has a built in filter to do away with many of the home’s nasty allergens.
With its efficient deep cleaning you can imagine the small bin would fill up quickly. If you hate being bothered to empty it, consider the optional Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal. It plugs into any electrical socket and using the app you can configure it to return to the Disposal Base containing a vacuum bag and empty itself up to 30 times upon return to base into a vacuum bag so you don’t have to.
Roomba i7+ measures 13.34-inches x 3.63-inches and weighs about 7.5 lbs. It’s powered by a built-in lithium-ion battery designed to run for up to 75 minutes and recharges itself when docked at the Clean Base resuming cleaning afterwards if a job was interrupted.
While it seems Roomba has come a long way and can do just about anything, it doesn’t do steps; I think that technology is still quite a few years away. However, it does have a Cliff Detection sensor to avoid it falling down the stairs.
Roomba i7+ might come at a premium compared to other vacuums, but it’s a great buy if you consider what it can do and how smart it is. Of course depending on how dirty your house is or how often you actually clean up your dust and dirt it could also be a major timer saver. It’s not perfect, but at least it can empty itself which means it can go for weeks or maybe even months without giving it any attention.
It’s ideal for houses with open floor space and larger cleaning areas. If you have a small tiny apartment, lots of cables and clutter or really narrow walking areas or a tiny floor space with lots of stairs or too any levels (it must return to base to charge) the i7 may not be for you. However if you can find it in your budget, or just want to get one, you won’t be sorry.
Roomba i7+ with Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal retails in Canada for $1,249.99. It comes with two dirt disposal bags, and an extra filter and side brush. Roomba i7 stand-alone is $899.99. Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal also sold separately for $429. It’s available on Amazon and at most major retailers.
Article inadvertently deleted and recreated.
A syndicated version was published Dec 2018 by Troy Media entitled: Roomba i7+ robot vacuum just keeps learning and cleaning.
A print version was published for Active-Life Magazine Jan 2019 for Simply Tech: Roomba i7+ – the automated vacuum you’ve been waiting for
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