Here at AccessWorld we receive a steady stream of reader feedback asking us to describe and review more mainstream home gadgets and appliances that are already or can be made accessible to the blind. Most of these devices are app-enabled, relying on a touchscreen reader accessible mobile app to make them work (an example is the Instant Pot, which I reviewed in the August 2016 issue of AccessWorld).

iRobot, makers of the Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner, have offered app-enabled units for a few years, but I already have a Roomba, it works fine, and I have always been a bit leery of replacing working items with newer models just to get access to features I'm not sure are accessible. But recently, during Amazon Prime Day when the company offered a Roomba Model 671 that was Wi-Fi and Alexa enabled for $100 off, I figured I'd take the plunge.

Let me say right here at the beginning that I was extremely pleased with my purchase. The Roomba 671 is nearly completely accessible using the iPhone app. (I did not test the Android app, nor a Google Assistant.)

This is actually my third Roomba. The first I bought with a lifetime guarantee from Hammacher Schlemmer and returned a year after purchase when it stopped working. The second, purchased several years later, has been a faithful servant for more than five years. However I have always had trouble with device accessibility, and these issues fall into three categories.

  • The inability to accessibly set the time or a daily cleaning schedule.
  • The inability to locate the device when it gets stuck or runs out of power.
  • The inability to accessibly detect whether the device is properly positioned on the charger when I need to place it there manually.

The first of these was an annoyance. Sure, I could get sighted help to set the clock and then set a scheduled time for Roomba to run. However these settings only lasted until the first time the power ran out—see next paragraph—at which time the clock would reset to 12:00 and what was a scheduled time of 3 PM became 7 PM and my only choices were to let it run while I tried to read or watch TV, or chase Roomba down and stop it until bedtime, or the following morning, and every morning after that until the power ran out again and I played another game of Roomba roulette.

The second issue was a real problem. Nearly every time it ran, Roomba would get wedged against the edge of a couch, or snagged on a too-fluffy bathroom rug, and stop dead in its tracks. Or it would fail to find its way back to its power dock. The unit uses an infrared signal to find its way, and if it's in a different room without a line of sight In any case, I spent a lot of time wandering the house searching all the old familiar places. More often than not I was unable to find it, and it might be days before I stumbled over it—out of power, of course. (See paragraph above.)

When Roomba returns to the base station and positions itself to recharge it plays a trill. However on those many occasions when I had to place the unit on the charger manually there was no way to detect if it was in the proper position. Colored signal lights indicate proper positioning so if you can't see those lights, you don't have any feedback. I often would dock the unit improperly and wind up a day later with the unit still sounding the "Please charge Roomba" message when I pressed the Power button.

Introducing Roomba 671

If you've never gotten your hands on a Roomba, it's a large, thick plastic disk, approximately 13 inches in diameter. The edge, approximately four inches thick, holds the bumper guards and the removable refuse bin. On the bottom are two independently turning wheels, a pivot caster, and a spinning side brush, sort of like plastic whiskers that brush dirt from baseboards and such and move it into position to be sucked up by Roomba's brushes and vacuum.

The unit's brush cage is also visible and accessible from the bottom. All Roombas use a pair of roller-style brushes. The first unit I purchased included two plastic bristle brushes. The unit I currently own replaced the brushes with rubber rollers. The Model 671 comes with one of each. Replacements can be purchased.

The roller brushes are covered by an easily removable plastic brush guard. They can be lifted right out of the unit for cleaning and to remove large debris, such as lengths of string, that can clog the machine. I do like this ability to easily access the brushes. The upright vacuum I currently own and barely use these days requires removing several tiny screws and a high-tension rubber belt to access and clean the brushes.

The top of the unit includes a sort of thick button cliff sensor that stops Roomba from falling down stairs, and a pressure touch control, which sports a fairly large Power button at the very center. Previous models I have owned include a row of buttons: Spot, Home, Clock and Schedule. The model 671 moves these controls to above and below the Power button, with Spot being directly above the center Power button between it and the top protruding cliff sensor and Home just below.

The setup also includes a power charger, which sits on the floor and into which Roomba is supposed to self-dock at the end of a session. As mentioned above, Roomba does not always accomplish this. And if you need to manually dock Roomba, it can be difficult to determine if it's properly positioned without seeing the flashing signal lights. At least in non-app-enabled models.

Other units I have purchased also came with a pair of virtual walls, tiny towers that you can place in a doorway or such to prevent Roomba from entering or leaving a room or other area. These did not come with the model 671, though they can be purchased from the company's Accessories Store.

Replacement filters and edge brushes also were not provided. Nor was the remote control that comes with some models. Note: iRobot also sells an optional Roomba Halo that stops Roomba from getting too close and displacing dog dishes.

Connecting Roomba 671

There is an Android app available from Google Play, but I did not test it for this review. Instead I removed the battery protective tab and charged Roomba overnight to condition the battery, as the instructions advise, then downloaded the iRobot app from the iOS App Store and began the setup. You must create an iRobot account, using your email and a password. Next, you will choose Setup a new robot, and select Roomba. The other choice is the Braaba Jet, a device that wet/dry mops tile and linoleum floors.

After giving your new device a name you must choose the Wi-Fi network you will use to connect Roomba. Like many other Wi-Fi devices I have seen lately, Roomba will not use a 5-gigahertz network. Most modern routers broadcast in combined 2.4/5 gigahertz bands, and to pair Roomba you will need to divide the signals into two separate bands. After you have paired Roomba you can recombine them. Your ISP can help you do this. Alternatively, you can call iRobot tech support and they will walk you through the process. After trying out a completely inaccessible Wi-Fi slow cooker I never bothered to reset the dual band, so I already had a 2.4 network to pair with. However I did have another issue.

Once you select your network and enter the password, the app instructs you to press and hold the Spot and Home buttons for two seconds. These are the buttons located above and below the Power button, assuming you have Roomba in its charging cradle.

After releasing the buttons you will receive a tone informing you that Roomba has located your signal. You must then enter your network password a second time, and here is where I had trouble.

Using VoiceOver on my iPhone 6, I could not get Roomba to accept my password. I even had sighted help type it in using VO, and it again failed. However, with VoiceOver turned off the very same password worked fine. I have experienced this situation on other devices. Perhaps it is a VoiceOver bug?

In any case, once this single stumbling block was passed, the app became 99-percent accessible. There is a battery gauge that appears as an image.

Starting Roomba was as simple as selecting its name and then double tapping "Clean." I could also set a daily schedule by selecting "on" for the days I wish Roomba to run, then use the slider to choose the times I wish it to start. If you enable notifications, your iPhone will alert you when Roomba has started, when it has finished, and most importantly, when there is an issue that has caused Roomba to stop.

OK, so Roomba has stopped. So where is it? Simply press the "More" button, and you will find a "Locate" control. Activating this control causes Roomba to announce its location with a pair of beeps, issued twice. You can repeat this, carrying your smartphone until you find Roomba. Alternatively, the app will announce, "(Your device name) is recharging on its home base."

There is no "Spot" option on the app. This must be activated manually, but this is fine, since if you plan to spot clean you are probably already "on the spot."

You can end a cleaning job using the app, but Roomba may not be able to locate the dock if you stop the unit when it's in a different room or area of the house without line of sight to the dock. If you must manually dock Roomba, simply press the "Locate" button, which will tell you if you have successfully docked the unit.

Roomba and Alexa

If you have an Amazon Echo device you can use your smartphone app or the Web to install the iRobot skill. After entering your account and password you can then use commands such as:

"Alexa, tell (ask) Roomba to clean (stop, go home)." You can also ask, "Alexa, when will my room be clean (set a schedule, or locate Roomba)?" This last will cause Alexa to announce, "Roomba (your device name) is signaling its location. Now go find it." Unfortunately, when done this way, Roomba does not offer a constant signal. It only blurps twice, so it can be difficult to find if it's not in the immediate area. Happily, I own an Amazon Tap, which I can carry around with me while I play hide and seek with Roomba. You can also use your smartphone app as described above.

Further Information

The Roomba 600 Series Quick Start Card and Owners Guide can be obtained in accessible PDF format from the company's web store.

Roombas can also be found at Amazon and many other retailers.

There is a wide variety of models, including various 600, 800, and 900 series. The higher number models usually come with more accessories and up to five times more powerful suction. Some higher numbered models also come with a "recharge and resume" feature. I was told by an iRobot representative that any model that shows as "app-enabled" will also work with Alexa and Google Assistant.

This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.

Comment on this article.

Related articles:

More by this author:

Author
Bill Holton
Article Topic
Product Reviews and Guides