Roomba Gains IFTTT Functionality
iRobot has been vocal about its plans to make the Roomba a central part of the connected home. Progress has been gradual—WiFi connectivity arrived in 2015, and Alexa integration this year—but it’s steadily advancing. Today, the world’s best-selling robotic vacuum takes another significant step with the addition of IFTTT functionality. This automation service brings substantial potential to WiFi-connected models. Currently, 11 applets are available for Roomba, ranging from practical (“when I leave home, start a cleaning job” and “when I answer a call, pause Roomba”) to the more whimsical (“post a Tweet when Roomba finishes a cleaning job”). iRobot also suggests other potentially useful applications, such as triggering extra cleaning when high pollen counts are detected by a weather service—though this isn’t yet available.
More applets will undoubtedly be added as awareness grows, though judging by the company’s Twitter feed, many will likely center around babies and cute animals. Roomba now boasts a healthy amount of smart home service coverage—in addition to Alexa, Google Assistant integration arrived in May. Ultimately, mapping is the most crucial element of the smart home puzzle for iRobot. CEO Colin Angle has discussed plans to make Roomba a connective tissue, helping locate various devices throughout the home. However, the company faced criticism earlier this year over suggestions that it planned to sell mapping data to third parties. Angle subsequently clarified these comments in a statement to TechCrunch.
