iRobot Roomba S9 Plus

Compared to its predecessor, the iRobot Roomba i7+, the Roomba S9+ has undergone several significant improvements, including a new D-shaped design that allows it to access tight corners and hard-to-reach places more efficiently. A previous problem with Roomba models was that the brushes spun too quickly, often resulting in the dirt spreading instead of collecting up. On the Roomba S9+, this problem has been solved by having the brushes rotate more slowly, increasing its ability to efficiently collect dirt and debris.

Another noticeable improvement is the dual brush on the underside of the Roomba S9+, which has been moved forward and widened. This causes fewer hairs to get stuck and makes it more effective at cleaning even thick carpets.

The Roomba S9+ uses a navigation technology called VSLAM (Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) instead of LIDAR, which is used by many other competing robotic vacuum cleaners. VSLAM uses a built-in camera to map and navigate your home. One advantage of VSLAM is its ability to handle situations where obstacles have fabric hanging down to the floor, which LIDAR can sometimes have difficulty detecting. However, VSLAM is dependent on the lighting conditions in your home, and it may be less effective in dark environments. A combination of both technologies, VSLAM and LIDAR, would perhaps have been an optimal solution.

It is also worth mentioning that iRobot, the manufacturer of the Roomba, is now owned by the tech giant Amazon, which acquired the company for about $17 billion. This acquisition has strengthened Amazon's presence in the smart home market and positioned them as a leading player in the sector.

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