Two years ago, iRobot unveiled its AI-powered Genius Home Intelligence platform that'd help the company's Roomba vacuums know where and when to clean. Now iRobot just revealed a powerful new software platform for its vacuum cleaners: iRobot OS.
The new iRobot OS is full of fantastic new features and seems to be a jumping-off point for the company's future efforts. It's also a fantastic progression from the previous software efforts, aka iRobot Genius. Now, the robot vacuums will be better able to detect objects in your home and offer even more voice commands and pet-centric features.
Colin Angle, CEO of iRobot, said "As iRobot expands its ecosystem of connected robots and smart home devices, we are placing a strategic emphasis on superior software intelligence delivered on high-performance, beautifully designed hardware. iRobot OS brings it all to life, enabling products that understand the home environment, respect customer preferences and intuitively connect with the smart home ecosystem to get the job done. iRobot OS lets our robots get smarter and clean even more effectively over time, delivering valuable new features and functionality that benefits all customers, including pet owners, busy families and those looking to get the most out of their voice assistants."
Currently, there is not a plan to add iRobot OS to any existing vacuum cleaners, but doing so is not entirely out of the question. Earlier in 2022, iRobot rolled out an updated version of its Genius platform to its robot vacuum and mop models.
iRobot Genius already packs a slew of smart features in the companion app (Android/iOS), like cleaning schedule suggestions, recommended Keep Out zones, and support for hundreds of voice assistant cleaning commands.
Now, the new iRobot OS is turning its focus on gaining a deeper understanding of the home and better integrating to other smart home areas. The company's CEO also mentioned an interest in extending to run on some of its other gadgets, as well, like air purifiers. That would allow them to be more useful to consumers by intelligently assessing when to turn on, how loud to run, when to run, etc., so the devices would be less disruptive with day-to-day cleanings.
Anyone who owns the newer iRobot j7 robot vacuum has a glimpse into what iRobot OS has to offer. It leverages the vacuum's front-facing camera to better comprehend a home's layout, plus it can identify more than 80 types of common household objects and understand more precise cleaning commands, like "clean by the dining table."
Source: iRobot