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Wyze branches out with $199 robot vacuum featuring lidar tech

Wyze is best known for its affordable security cameras, but now the company is entering the robot vacuum cleaner market with a $199 bot that boasts enough features to compete with many of the bigger names on the market. Unlike many budget models, the Wyze Robot Vacuum uses precision lidar to navigate through the home and avoid common obstacles and pitfalls that might snare other models. Users can also set up virtual walls to keep the vacuum from running into things like pet water bowls and over stairs.

The Wyze Robot Vacuum also has schedule times for automatic cleaning of specific areas of the home. This is particularly useful for keeping high-traffic areas (like the space in front of the door) clean.

You can even customize the suction level. While higher levels of suction will result in a cleaner floor, it will also be significantly louder. If you schedule the machine to run at night, then lower suction levels will likely keep your sleep from being interrupted. On the other hand, you can set the suction level to its highest setting and run the Wyze Robot Vacuum when you’re gone during the day, ensuring you’ll come home to a very clean floor.

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The Wyze Robot Vacuum can automatically adjust between carpet and hardwood flooring. This means that it will be just as effective cleaning hardwood as it will be on carpet — no need to worry about whether it is on the right setting or not.

Like many premium options for robot vacuums, the Wyze Robot Vacuum will create a map of your floor as it cleans. Once this map is finalized, you can use it to set up virtual walls to denote areas where the vacuum should not go. This is great for keeping it from under the TV stand or computer desk, as well as away from areas where it might get stuck. This map not only tells you the square footage of the space the Wyze is cleaning, but also how long it runs for and its current charge level.

The Wyze Robot Vacuum starts at just $199 and is available for pre-order starting today. It’s yet another example of Wyze’s aggressive rollout in the smart home. The company is diversifying its portfolio, with recent gadgets like its Doorbell, Thermostat, and Outdoor Camera all making significant noise in their respective domains.

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Patrick Hearn
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…
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