Neato Robotics is shutting down as the company hasn't reached its "self-defined economic goals" for years, parent company Vorwerk Group tells TechHive. The firm's sales haven't met expectations, in other words. Vorwerk is promising cloud and repair support to Neato customers for "at least" five years, so your robovac should continue to run for a while longer. The move will affect 98 jobs, Vorwerk says. Users started worrying weeks ago, when users noticed a broken customer sign-in page.

BEGIN ARTICLE PREVIEW: Robot vacuums used to be the stuff of classic science fiction, bustling around Jetson-like dream homes. That’s no longer the case. In fact, they’re far more advanced than ever before, with models boasting an array of sophisticated sensors, CPUs, lasers and even AI-enhanced software. The fact is that if you’re looking to keep your home nice and tidy, these robots are useful tools and will do the trick. Nonetheless, living the robot vacuum dream can set you back a hefty sum — some cost as much as four figures. While you don’t have to spend that much, you do get a lot in return. That includes self-emptying dust bins, multiple room and floor mapping, powerful suction and thoughtfully designed hardware.Despite all this sophistication, however, none of these machines can really replace a mop and human exertion. Now playing: Watch this: Bat

Neato's newest robotic vacuum, the Neato D10, uses LIDAR-based technology and a HEPA filter that captures virtually 100 percent of allergens, the company says. It offers a runtime of 150 minutes, the widest brush and largest dirt bin on the market, supposedly, and a new and improved MyNeato app. The LIDAR-based system makes the Neato D10 up to 30 percent faster than competitors with camera-based navigation. Like Neato's previous models, the D-shape allows the vacuum to reach edges and corners, and as a result, the D10 offers up to 70 percent more coverage than its rounded competitors. Thanks to the upgraded app, users will be able to set up their Neato D10 in just six steps.

Robot vacuum pioneer iRobot has big plans in the works. From new Roombas that clean themselves to smart vacuums that communicate with floor-mopping machines, and even robotic lawn mowers, iRobot has been busy. But while these sophisticated home care systems sound impressive, even useful, they suffer from one glaring downside. They are all staggeringly expensive. This move by iRobot is no accident.

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.

I like Neato's powerful and efficient robot vacuums, but their software has always lagged a little bit behind their hardware. Neato's botvacs have climbed into my dog food bowls, bumped into walls hard enough to throw off their own sensors, or exhibit inexplicable behavior, like needing to pass the docking station three times before it can go home. In comparison, the iRobot Roombas utilize top-of-the-line navigational technology, which was developed to sniff out mines on beaches. If I don't want to, I don't even have to clear clutter off my floors. After all, you don't want to spend more time futzing with an automated robot than you would with a push vacuum.

At IFA in Berlin this week, Neato Robotics is, as we speak, making a bunch of announcements that promise to make the lives of people who like clean floors just a little bit better. In addition to a pair of new(ish) and more affordable(ish) Botvac models, Neato's ultra-fancy D7 Connected is getting a new feature that allows it to clean specific zones that you specify, meaning that "robot, go clean the kitchen" is now something that works. We've comprehensively reviewed the technology underlying Neato's BotVac Connected series, and the new models that Neato is introducing offer a more affordable way to take advantage of Neato's laser-based mapping tech. The BotVac D4 Connected is $500, and for $700, the D6 Connected adds a side brush, turbo mode, and more filter-y air filter for people with pets that are going bald. Honestly, most people will probably be perfectly fine with the D4, especially since Neato is updating these lower end models with most of the same clever software (including, so far, no-go lines and plans for multiple floors) that first appears on the D7.

The Neato Botvac D7 Connected represents the best and worst of robot vacuum technology: On the one hand, there's cutting-edge features that let you perform one of the most-loathed household tasks while barely lifting a finger. On the other hand, there's a heart-stopping price tag that makes you question just how much that convenience is worth. Ultimately, we each must solve that conundrum for ourselves, but we can say that the Botvac D7 Connected is an object lesson in "you get what you pay for." The Botvac D7 breaks from the disc-shaped design of every other robot vacuum we've reviewed to date, instead sporting the Botvac line's trademark "D" shape. This isn't just a design cue; those right angles allow it to clean along walls and in corners better than its round competitors.

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Neato first unveiled the Botvac D7 Connected vacuum over six months ago and it has finally arrived in the US and Europe. The company's flagship robotic vacuum packs a lot of tech, including Amazon Alexa and Google Home voice control, a floor planner that lets you set no-go zones (pet and children's areas, for instance), and the LaserSmart system that can guide it in the dark. It supports IFTTT, Android Wear and Apple Watch, and using the iOS and Android Neato app, you can check coverage maps to see where it has cleaned.