Skip to main content

Control the new Neato smart vacuum by voice via Alexa

vacuuming house just got little smarter neato d series turret 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder
With consumers increasingly interested in smart devices, Neato Robotics has launched the first robot vacuum that can be connected to Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa.

The Neato vacuum can be turned on via Alexa with a simple command. Neato connects to Alexa via a skill accessible by searching for Neato within the Smart Home skills that are part of the Alexa mobile app, and enabling it. The vacuum can be controlled with four different commands, including start, stop, pause, and resume. This convenience means that users can continue about their daily tasks while still getting their housecleaning done.

Recommended Videos

The Botvac uses patented technology that includes laser scanning, continuous room mapping, and object detection to clean effectively. Neato changes course when it encounters an obstacle, navigates from room to room even in the dark, and will return to its charging base when it requires charging. The smart technology even returns the vacuum to where it left off when charging is finished.

The unique D-shaped design of the vacuum allows it to get into corners and up against walls. With the largest dust bins and brushes on the market, the Neato vacuum can cover a broader area and pick up more dirt than any other unit currently on the market.

Looking to the future, Neato is hoping to add more Alexa commands including scheduling and specific cleaning modes. The firm is also looking into adding Alexa connectivity to its other models. There are 3 connected models currently on the market, including the D3 and D5 models, but only the original Botvac Connected is currently Alexa-enabled.

The Botvac Connected retails for $699. In honor of Black Friday, Neato has a special for consumers who purchase a Botvac Connected — a free Amazon Dot Echo. In order to utilize the special, consumers need to search for the Botvac Connected by Neato on Amazon’s website. The promotion runs from Black Friday until December 23, 2016.

Anthony Thurston
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Anthony is an internationally published photographer based in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Specializing primarily in…
Which smart lights should you use with Alexa?
Two people standing in a kitchen lit by a Philips Hue light.

We’ve talked before about how Alexa is one of the best voice assistants for smart homes, thanks to its broad compatibility with smart devices, which includes hundreds of brands and thousands of products. But that can also be a challenge when the time comes to pick the right product for your home.

If you have an Alexa device like an Amazon Echo, there are many smart lighting options that can work with voice commands and Alexa routines. Our guide will narrow it down to several of our favorite options that offer great features with full Alexa support!
Philips Hue 4-Pack with Hue Hub

Read more
Alexa’s behind Verizon’s smart display, but please don’t sell me a Fios package
A Verizon smart display.

Amazon certainly loves saving the best for last. Alexa Live 2021 is in full swing, and while most of the stuff announced at the virtual event is primarily geared for developers, there was an unexpected nugget in the form of a product announcement. It looks like Verizon will soon be launching its own smart display complete with a brand new voice assistant that will channel all of Alexa’s abilities. But instead of saying “Alexa” to initiate a voice action, it’s going to be "hi Verizon."

Brands will soon be able to build their own custom voice assistants built on Alexa technology, which is pretty helpful when you think about all the money that would be poured into research and development from scratch. Amazon is helping out brands by giving them access to Alexa’s vast functionality with what Amazon calls the Alexa Custom Assistant Momentum. I’m very much intrigued by this prospect, but the last thing I want to have happen with this marriage is a new smart display that’s trying to sell me a FiOS package incessantly.
Advertisements are nothing new
This new program brings back memories of the Amazon Fire Phone, Fire Tablet, and just about any of the handful of ad-subsidized phones from Motorola. The latter is especially peculiar because the phones were sold at low prices because users would be exposed to various Amazon advertisements. Yes, it’s annoying, but the tradeoff here is the discount on the product.

Read more
Everything new announced at Amazon Alexa Live 2021
amazon echo 4th gen review  9 of 14

Amazon Alexa is one of today's go-to voice assistants. Available on hundreds of devices, from smart speakers to displays and thermostats, Alexa grows more popular every day, with over 100 million device owners and 900,000 registered developers producing Alexa-powered products. Speaking of the latter, Alexa Live 2021 has finally arrived. This year's free virtual symposium is a great place to learn about all of the new developer tools and services that Alexa will be capable of in the near future. Here's everything announced at this year's event.
A host of new and updated developer tools
Perhaps the biggest emphasis of Amazon Alexa Live is the ways in which developers will be able to implement new and existing Alexa tools to make smart products more intuitive and customizable.

One advent is a tool called APL (Alexa Presentation Language) Widgets. For the first time, developers will have the ability to create visual companion widgets to accompany certain skills on devices like the Echo Show, Fire TV, Fire tablets, as well as other devices. These include things like animations, graphics, pictures, slideshows, and video files. Amazon further outlines this rollout with an example.

Read more