Robot vacuums evolve into truly smart little suckers

Jennifer Jolly puts top robot vacuums to the test. Robot vacuums have been promising to do our dirty work for more than two decades now, but rather than provide the hassle-free cleaning help of our dreams, some just suck – and not in a good way. Sure, early models devoured surface detritus, but often left a trail of half-eaten dirt-crumbs and dust-bunny bits while they crashed into walls and furniture legs with about as much grace – and overall success – as a drunk person wearing a blindfold. But sweeping changes are underfoot in the robot vacuum world, with a few of the latest models inching closer to a kind of Rosey from "The Jetsons" reality than ever before. For instance, most robot vacuums come equipped with Wi-Fi now, so that you can schedule and control them from an app on your smartphone.