The new iRobot Roomba i7+ can empty itself

Robot vacuums already do so much on their own. They’ll turn on automatically, map your flat, suck away dirt, and then return back to the charger—but you still have to empty the darn thing after every cleaning cycle. Until now, that is. iRobot’s newly-announced Roomba i7+ finally overcomes that last frustration, with a larger Clean Base charging station that automatically sucks out and stores the dust and dirt from the Roomba itself. You’ll still need to empty the station every couple of weeks or so, but that’s better than a few times a week. And if the idea doesn’t terrify you, the Roomba i7+ can also store its maps of your home to allow you to schedule individual room cleanings, complete with room-specific Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands. The Roomba i7+ starts shipping in the U.S. and Canada on 12 September at a hefty sum of US$949 with the Clean Base, with an international rollout beginning in Q1 2019.