At CES 2017 Samsung will unveil its new POWERbot VR7000 robot vacuum that can be controlled with your voice by connecting it to an Amazon Echo. Samsung didn’t specify exactly what voice controls will be available, but voice control is new to robot vacuums and to this point typically offers basic functionality such as start, stop, pause and resume.
In fact, Samsung says Alexa voice control is now available on all of its WiFi-connected POWERbot robot vacuums. Earlier in December 2016, Samsung released the POWERbot Turbo VR9350, which also has voice control capabilities, for $1,199. The POWERbot Turbo VR9350 was first introduced at CES 2016.
The newer POWERbot VR7000, which received a 2017 CES Innovation Award, will be displayed in Samsung’s CES booth #15006 on Level 1 of the Central Hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center. It’s less than 4 inches tall and is 28 percent slimmer than previous Samsung robot vacuums, so it’ll easily fit under chairs and couches to clean those hard-to-reach places. It offers 20 watts of suction power and cleans within a half inch of your walls thanks to an 11-inch-wide brush.
Like the POWERbot Turbo VR9350, Samsung says the POWERbot VR7000 robot vacuum uses Visionary Mapping Plus technology and a full suite of sensors to map your space, remember where it’s cleaned, and detect and work around any obstacles in its way.
The POWERbot VR7000 also automatically adjusts its suction power as it moves to different surfaces, Samsung says. So when the POWERbot VR7000 moves from a hardwood floor onto a carpet or rug, for example, the motor adjusts suction power to the surface for optimal performance.
Of course, the POWERbot VR7000 can be fully controlled by an app on your phone.
Samsung didn’t reveal details about pricing, availability or battery life, but we’ve reached out to Samsung and are waiting to hear back.
