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New Roomba robo-vac features a wireless command center

New Roomba robo-vac features a wireless command center
The new Roomba 790 from iRobot comes with a Wireless Command Center to control the robo-vac's movement and settings remotely
The new Roomba 790 from iRobot comes with a Wireless Command Center to control the robo-vac's movement and settings remotely
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iRobot has released the Roomba 790, which gives you direct control of the robo-vac's movement and setting remotely with a new Wireless Command Center
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iRobot has released the Roomba 790, which gives you direct control of the robo-vac's movement and setting remotely with a new Wireless Command Center
The Wireless Command Center is basically a remote control for the Roomba, with most of the controls mimicking the ones on top of the machine
2/3
The Wireless Command Center is basically a remote control for the Roomba, with most of the controls mimicking the ones on top of the machine
The new Roomba 790 from iRobot comes with a Wireless Command Center to control the robo-vac's movement and settings remotely
3/3
The new Roomba 790 from iRobot comes with a Wireless Command Center to control the robo-vac's movement and settings remotely
View gallery - 3 images

After a decade on the market, the Roomba has become the most well-recognized brand in robotic vacuum cleaners and a staple of many households. But while iRobot has improved the Roomba's filtering, suctioning, and collision detection over the years, actually controlling the vacuum has been left to its automated systems. Now iRobot has released the Roomba 790, which gives you direct control of the robo-vac's movement and settings remotely with a new Wireless Command Center.

The Wireless Command Center is basically a remote control for the Roomba, with most of the controls mimicking the ones on top of the machine - starting a cleaning, scheduling a regular session, specifying certain rooms, etc. One cool addition though is a directional pad that lets a person steer the device like a remote-controlled car to specific dirty spots. The remote also transmits using radio waves, so it can be used to reprogram the vacuum from anywhere in the house.

The Wireless Command Center is basically a remote control for the Roomba, with most of the controls mimicking the ones on top of the machine
The Wireless Command Center is basically a remote control for the Roomba, with most of the controls mimicking the ones on top of the machine

Aside from the wireless controls though, the Roomba 790 doesn't really clean any better than the other Roombas in the 700 series. Like the Roombas 760, 770, and 780, this one comes with a cleaning head designed for pet owners, dual HEPA filters, and an expanded bin for debris. It does however include an extra Virtual Wall Lighthouse for creating a boundary for the robo-vac, plus additional replacement brushes, filters, and a case for all the accessories.

The Roomba 790 is currently available from iRobot for US$700.

Source: iRobot via IEEE

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2 comments
2 comments
Amir Fruchtman
This is not new, even the 581 had a wireless control center. They had remotes for over a year now....
grtbluyonder
A product looking for a market. The whole point of a robo-vacuum is that you don't have to be there or interact with the device, it cleans while you do something else.
All a wireless controller does is make you be there and watch. Might as well just do the vacuuming yourself and get some exercise.
Some will of course buy this for the novelty but it aint gonna be me.