iRobot Voice-Enables Home Robots with Amazon Alexa

iRobot has teamed with Amazon to further advance voice-enabled intelligence for home robots. This partnership will enable robot vacuums to clean specific rooms by voice using Amazon Alexa.

Powered by iRobot Genius Home Intelligence, iRobot Roomba robot vacuums and Braava robot mops with Imprint Smart Mapping technology learn how best to navigate floors, remembering specific rooms and furniture arrangements. Using Alexa, iRobot customers can automate routines, personalize cleaning jobs, and control how their home is cleaned.

People can use Alexa to send their robos to clean a mess right where it happens with precision Clean Zones or to clean around specific objects that attract the most common messes. They can also schedule cleaning routines ("Alexa, tell Roomba to clean the kitchen every weeknight at 7 pm.")

Alexa can let customers know about their robots' status, like when they need help or finished a cleaning job. The robots can also request clarification when a command is unclear.

"Smart home products often fail to live up to consumer expectations because they require complex programming for basic functionality and lack the ability to truly interact with the user," said Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot, in a statement. "We believe robots should be thoughtful and responsive and clean according to the user's unique preferences. The combination of advanced navigation, object identification, and advanced voice-enabled technologies lets people interact with them in a more natural way, gaining greater control of their smart homes. We're excited to unlock even more intuitive cleaning and smart home experiences by working with Amazon to integrate cutting-edge voice capabilities."

"Technology is at its best when it disappears into the background, allowing you to be more present in the world around you. That's why we're inventing for a future where devices, services, and artificial intelligence work together to create proactive and personalized experiences," said David Shearer, vice president of smart home at Amazon, in a statement. "We are excited to bring these experiences to iRobot customers, adding Alexa capabilities that will allow customers to interact with their cleaning robots in new ways."