Roomba vacuums equipped with cameras use PrecisionVision™ to identify and avoid common obstacles like cables, pet waste, and toys. When enabled, Obstacle Image Review allows your robot to capture photos of obstacles for your review in the iRobot HOME App, helping it learn and improve over time.
This article explains how these features work, how your privacy is protected, and answers common questions about obstacle detection and image review on your robot.
Camera
Some robots utilize a front-facing camera, allowing the robot to accurately see, identify, and avoid objects on the floor during a cleaning run.
The robot models that include a front facing camera are:
- Max 705 Series
- Plus 575 Series
- Plus 505 Series
- 10 Max Series
- J5, j6, j7, j8, j9 Series
All other models not listed do NOT have a front facing camera. Mini and 515 do not have a camera.
How it works
Roomba uses it's camera to map out your home in order to ensure complete coverage. Using PrecisionVision™ the robot can see, identify, and automatically avoid objects on the ground, such as cords, by placing a temporary Keep Out Zone around the object.
The camera uses a front-facing LED light to view objects on the floor better, but it is not bright enough to allow the robot to run in the dark.
Note: PrecisionVision™ has been designed from the beginning with security in mind and comes with a TUV Trusted IOT Device Certification.
Note: PrecisionVision™ on the j series and Combo 10 Max is inactive during a training/mapping run. The floor should be clear of pet waste or cables, as the robot will not actively detect or avoid these obstacles during a training/mapping run.
Here is a list of some common obstacles that Roomba should recognize and avoid. It is likely that other obstacles will be avoided as well, even if not on this list
| Robot Model |
Plus 500 and Max 700 Series
|
j5/j7/j9/ Combo J9+/ 10 Max
| j6 | all other models |
| PrecisionVision™ Navigation | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Cords / Wires / Cables | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Pet Waste (solid/low viscosity) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Socks | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Shoes / Slippers | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Fabrics / Clothes / Towels | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Backpacks | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Pet Toys | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Pet Bowls | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Litter Boxes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Pets (cats/dogs) | Yes | Yes | No | No |
How to turn PrecisionVision™ on and off:
IMPORTANT: You cannot disable obstacle detection on Roomba® Plus 500 and Max 700 Series.
From the classic iRobot® HOME App, make sure your robot with PrecisionVision™ is selected on the home screen, then go to Product Settings > Cleaning Settings > Obstacle Detection.
Obstacle Image Review
By enabling Obstacle Image Review your robot will also capture images of the detected obstacle and the surrounding area, and then present these images for your review in the mobile app.
Reviewing images of the obstacle areas will provide feedback to your robot about how to improve its cleaning over time for your specific home, including the option to clean those avoided areas again.
The robot will send you a photo so you can tell it to avoid or clean around the obstacle in the future.
At the end of the cleaning mission, you can opt to run a “Tidy Up” mission if you would like. A tidy-up mission will have the robot clean the areas that it could not due to an object being detected; after clearing the object off the floor, a tidy-up mission can be run to clean those areas.
If the robot sees an obstacle where there is no obstacle, simply select the “Not an obstacle” option in the app when the app alerts you to that obstacle.
NOTE: Reviews may not be available for every cleaning job and are only available after you have a customized Smart Map.
Why should I opt in?
Your robot is able to detect and avoid obstacles in your home. By enabling this option, your robot will also capture images of the detected obstacle and the surrounding area, and then present these images for your review in the mobile app.
Reviewing images of the obstacle areas will provide feedback to your robot about how to improve its cleaning over time for your specific home, including the option to clean those avoided areas again.
NOTE: Reviews may not be available for every cleaning job and are only available after you have a customized Smart Map.
Who has access to my images?
Allowing the robot to capture images is completely up to you. Images captured by your robot are encrypted and stored such that they are only viewable by you (or others with access to your iRobot account) through your mobile app. iRobot cannot view or access your images unless they are contributed to the image database. If your images are not contributed, then your encrypted images are automatically deleted from our servers after 30 days.
Can I change my preference later?
You can change your preference at any time by opening the iRobot® HOME App and selecting the three horizontal lines located in the top right corner. Next, navigate to the Account section, and click on Privacy. From there, select Map Features, choose the name of your robot, and finally, select Obstacle Image Review. In this section, the "Obstacle Image Review" toggle will allow you to turn the feature on or off. Should you choose to opt-out of "Obstacle Image Review," your robot will still be able to avoid obstacles with its detection capabilities. However, you will not be able to provide feedback to change your robot’s behavior for future jobs.
What do the images look like?
More Information
For more information about how we use your data, please review our Privacy Policy.
