iRobot Takes Next Step in the Connected Home with Clean Map™ Reports and Amazon Alexa Integration

Tell Roomba® vacuuming robot to clean via Amazon Alexa™, then learn more about the cleaning job in the iRobot HOME App

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Mar 15, 2017, 00:01 ET

BEDFORD, Mass., March 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT), a leader in consumer home robotics, today announced updates to the iRobot HOME App that expand the value of connected Roomba vacuuming robots within the smart home. New Clean Map reports provide visual post-cleaning maps that display information about the robot's cleaning performance, such as the dirtiest floor areas and total space cleaned, while the integration of Amazon Alexa™ voice activated control will make communicating with a Roomba vacuuming robot a breeze.

Clean Map(TM) reports for iRobot Roomba(R) 900 Series vacuuming robots are one of the exciting new additions to the iRobot HOME App, available on the App Store and Google Play. Customers can zoom and pan Clean Map reports in the History button to view cleaning coverage, as well as any areas of concentrated dirt on which the robot focused. Clean Map reports also provide statistics, such as area cleaned, job duration, and charging time for completed jobs.

The iRobot Roomba(R) 980 vacuuming robot with iRobot HOME App.

"iRobot is aggressively pursuing opportunities within the connected home to improve our customers' experience with our cleaning robots," said Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot. "The latest updates for the iRobot HOME App make cleaning with an iRobot Roomba vacuuming robot even more user friendly, with voice-activated commands, enhanced mapping features and useful post-cleaning reports. These are exciting next steps towards our vision of an ecosystem of home robots that work collaboratively and further enable the smart home."

Combining adaptive navigation with visual localization, iRobot Roomba 900 Series vacuuming robots build a map of a home as they clean. Clean Map reports make these maps visible to customers in the iRobot HOME App after a cleaning job is complete, showing total area and duration a Roomba® 900 Series vacuum cleaned — for up to 30 cleaning jobs. Leveraging Dirt Detect™ - an iRobot patented feature only found on Roomba vacuuming robots – Clean Map reports also provide users with information about where the robot encounters higher concentrations of dirt or debris, providing a more focused cleaning in those areas. With the addition of Clean Map reports, users can now have greater confidence in knowing the vacuuming is complete.

Clean Map reports can be viewed in the History tab of the iRobot HOME App. Once the map is opened, users can manipulate the map on the screen with their fingers, zooming and panning from room-to-room to see where Dirt Detect™ events occurred. The update to the iRobot HOME App also includes push notifications that will alert users on job status, including when the robot is finished cleaning.

With Amazon Alexa™, customers can start, stop and pause Roomba cleaning jobs with simple voice activated commands (e.g. "Alexa, ask Roomba to begin cleaning."). The Alexa™ skill for Roomba vacuuming robots will be available to U.S. customers in Q2 2017 and is compatible with any connected Roomba vacuum, such as the Roomba 900 Series.

Available for Android and iOS devices, the iRobot HOME App gives users more control over their connected cleaning products, such as the Roomba 900 Series Vacuum Cleaners and Braava jet® Mopping Robot, with customized cleaning preferences, information about cleaning jobs, customized maintenance tips and direct access to customer support.

Availability

The latest update for iRobot HOME App is available for download beginning today worldwide for iOS and Android users. The Amazon Alexa skill for connected iRobot Roomba vacuums will be available to U.S. customers in Q2 2017.

Photos, videos and background can be found at: http://media.irobot.com/

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About iRobot Corp.

iRobot designs and builds robots that empower people to do more. The company's home robots help people find smarter ways to clean and accomplish more in their daily lives. iRobot's portfolio of solutions feature proprietary technologies for the connected home and advanced concepts in navigation, mobility, manipulation and artificial intelligence. For more information about iRobot, please visit www.irobot.com.

For iRobot Investors

Certain statements made in this press release that are not based on historical information are forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements relating to iRobot Corporation's expectations concerning management's plans, objectives and strategies. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. iRobot undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks faced by iRobot, see the disclosure contained in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, without limitation, our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.

SOURCE iRobot Corp.