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It’s a big day for iRobot.
#1.
LiDAR (at last!)
It’s taken iRobot far too long to get on board with LiDAR, but better late than never.
Its introduction means the new Roombas should offer faster, more reliable navigation and mapping.
(Head to ourLiDAR vs VSLAMarticle for more on how the two technologies compare.)
#2.
#3.
The new bots have a design the brand has dubbed ‘GRID’ Geometric, Rational, Iconic and Dynamic.
#4.
Better dust management
For some people, ‘dust management’ might not seem especially exciting.
There are a couple of interesting developments here.
That means it can hold far more debris than usual, without the need for a bulky dock.
For people with small homes and no space for a massive auto-empty dock, it looks very interesting indeed.
#5.
#6.
Based on my initial notes, the new models have 7,000Pa of suction.
#7.
2 innovations I’m worried about…
#1.
Bots with no raised puck
The LiDAR here is called ‘ClearView’ and appears across all models.
This model uses the same LiDAR technology, but it’s shifted into the front of the robot.
Shifting the LiDAR tech into the front of the robovac means a far narrower field of view.
I’ll be really interested to test this out and see for myself.
#2.
It only launched in July 2024, so perhaps iRobot felt it was too soon to scrap it.
However, as what should be the shining star of the Roomba fleet, it’s underwhelming.
I’m excited to get these new models into my flat and test the new features out for myself.
