When I open the AmpliFi app on my iPhone, I see 50 devices. The majority of them are HomeKit enabled devices, and I’ve recently become obsessed with a product line that needs HomeKit compatibility. It’s led me to think about what I’d like to see added to Apple’s supported categories for HomeKit in the future. Would you buy a HomeKit vacuum?
HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips, and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.
During 2020, I have added two robovacs to my home. I have the Neato D7 in the central area of my house, and then I have the Roborock S6 MaxV covering the upstairs of our house which includes my kid’s bedrooms and our bonus room. I recently covered that the Neato lineup added Siri support to its list so it can be used without even launching the app. As I’ve let these products take over 100% of the vacuuming in my home, I’ve begun to wonder why there isn’t a HomeKit option for robovacs?
Why vacuums for HomeKit support?
Like anything with HomeKit, the benefits are in the automations you can build. With vacuum support in HomeKit, I could use indoor motion sensors to determine when a room is occupied vs. unoccupied for cleaning. Both vacuums that I own are powerful, but if you are in a bedroom trying to watch something on Apple TV+, it can be hard to hear when they are running. Both vacuums support creating a schedule, but our schedule, certainly during the summer, varies quite a bit, so it’s hard to know precisely when we will be home vs. away.
By adding automatic vacuums to the support product category in HomeKit, I could create automations to ensure our floors are vacuumed continuously but never interfere with our day to day living. Here’s how I envision this setup working in the Home app
- Tell Roborock S6 to vacuum the entire floor three times per week.
- Instruct it to use a motion sensor to determine when is an appropriate time based on occupancy.
- It can only run during the hours of 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM to not disturb sleep.
- Different rooms can be vacuumed at different times.
With this setup, my floors could be automatically vacuumed, but only during times I am not using those rooms. By letting the vacuums work with multiple indoor motion sensors from a company like Philips, I can ensure my rooms are always vacuumed during times I am not using those rooms, so it doesn’t impact my ability to take conference calls, watch TV, or listen to podcasts.
What do you think about this idea? What other product categories is HomeKit currently missing? I plan to cover future types in upcoming HomeKit Weekly articles, so I can’t wait to hear your comments.
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