iRobot is giving its vacuum cleaners a new AI-powered brain

iRobot is announcing what it’s calling the biggest software upgrade to its robot vacuum cleaners since the company’s inception 30 years ago: a new AI-powered platform known as iRobot Genius Home Intelligence. Or, as iRobot CEO Colin Angle describes it: “It’s a lobotomy and replacement of the intelligence systems in all of our robots.”

The new system is part a big shift in how iRobot develops its wares, Angle tells The Verge. As robovacs become commodity goods, available for less than $200 from many vendors, iRobot wants to move up the value chain, differentiating itself from lower-tier rivals with sophisticated software. What that means, says Angle, is a robot you can really control.

“Imagine you had a cleaning person come to your home...

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