iRobot is working with Google to improve smart devices
The Roomba-maker is collaborating with Google on improving the efficiency of your smart home.
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Google and Roomba-maker iRobot announced Wednesday they are collaborating on further integrating robotic vacuums into part of a Google Home setup.
"We're looking forward to working with Google to explore new ways to enable a more thoughtful home," Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot, said in a press release.
The $999 iRobot Roomba i7+ is the company's first vacuum to create lo-res maps of user's homes. A company spokesperson told CNET the collaboration hopes to "explore how robotic technologies can help to create a more cohesive and seamless smart home experience through spatial context."
At the moment, users can say, "OK Google, tell Roomba to start cleaning," and the iRobot i7+ will react, for example. However, the iRobot room data could also be used by this and other smart devices -- such as thermostats and speakers -- which work on a room-by-room basis.
Last year, Angle said iRobot was looking for smart home partners to improve the way their devices work. He stressed that iRobot devices would only share information with other manufacturers with the user's consent.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.