Roomba j7 First Impressions Part 1 - Navigation & Mapping

The first in a series of first impression videos of the new iRobot Roomba j7 vacuum robot. This one is about its navigation and mapping capabilities. Is it more than just an i7 with object recognition. So far, the answer is yes.
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[@atropyzombie]

Girl friend thinks he is cheating... he is filming his vacuum out of curiosity

[@kroolis77]

Absolute junk, sold mine after 6 months and got ecovacs.

[@jsmcguireIII]

I think I'd map with chairs up since that's what I do when it is on a cleaning run for efficiency.

[@Jaker788]

The reason it's still trying to go everywhere even if the camera has seen it is to get a more accurate idea of the actual boundaries. Aside from a camera, it has an intertial measurement unit which cen give much more precise measurements. That IMU is typically a good combination to vSLAM to add more localization and mapping data and accuracy down to an inch or less which a camera can't typically.

[@MrRoombato]

Or they could add a laser and solve all of the problems that all of the above still don't fully solve. At this point you have to ask yourself why they don't...and the answer is, because people keep buying Roombas.

[@JonBetti]

Yeah I got fed up with the assault on my furniture by the J7 and returned it. Got a Roborock S7 instead and am much happier with its respect for chair legs, plants, etc. It's really a shame because VSLAM robots _could_ be almost as accurate as LIDAR bots (especially at close range), but iRobot seems to just want to ride on what they've got...

[@MrRoombato]

Make sure the S7 isn't scratching your floors. I've had many subscribers tell me that theirs was. Either test it with a piece of plexiglass or just keep an eye out on your floors and see what it does.

[@JonBetti]

@@MrRoombato Yep I'm definitely keeping my eye on that after having watched your videos on the subject. I'm hoping my EVP flooring is as scratch resistant as advertised 🤞

[@stirlingfromla]

You must really like the sound of your voice

[@iquestionmarkquestionmark]

He’s not Even A Girlfriend

[@Crusader1984]

I robot really need to transition into LiDAR

[@MrRoombato]

Yes, you do. You'll love it!

[@pepperonii5663]

I like that you put the plane turbine animation on the side when it sucks back at the base. I was thinking of the same thing!

[@richardsmith1161]

With Roomba you have to accommodate the robot. With a Lidar based robot, it will accommodate you. I doubt I will ever buy a Roomba again.

[@MrRoombato]

That's fair, BUT...with the exception of the Dreame Z10, every LIDA robot I own gives me all kinds of stupid problems, from bugs to ridiculous algorithms to other silly problems that competent software engineers could fix. The only other exception are the Roborocks, but my X6 MaxV doesn't have a self-empty dock, making it worthless in my eyes, and the S7 scratches floors, adding it to the list of robots that give me dumb problems. My i7 (and maybe j7 now) just work, all the time, without problems. It doesn't work well (bump, smash, slam!) but it works.

[@juneblake5187]

My app is terrible I didn't even know mapping isn't cleaning. I can't edit. What app are you using. Probably US

[@MrRoombato]

I'm in the US, yes. You should be able to access the map from the main screen, and from there, there are options to divide and label rooms and create keep out zones and cleaning zones.

[@juneblake5187]

I've asked Canada to send a link, terrible. Just mapped bedroom gave me an error message although it told me completed

[@MrRoombato]

@@juneblake5187 Can you return it?

[@SilverSilence002]

Why doesn't Roomba use LIDAR?

[@MrRoombato]

Because their CEO, who is apparently an arrogant man, once said, "Cameras are the future!" I guess he didn't realize you could have both lidar and a camera, but whatever. It's also probably because people still buy their robots. So why should they change?

[@SilverSilence002]

@@MrRoombato There was a time Roomba was the leader in VacBot technologies, but after seeing Roborock S7 maxv Ultra and Dreame T10, I think Roomba is way behind on tech curve.

[@MrRoombato]

@@SilverSilence002 Yes, they are. Way, way behind. But people who go to Walmart and Costco don't know that.

[@SilverSilence002]

@@MrRoombato I always wonder if it is a good idea to integrate vacbot system into dishwasher. Every night the vacbot would come out from underneath the dishwasher to do it's cleaning then return to its base at the dishwasher. Since dishwasher already has piping, it can get clean water and dump dirty water there, so there is no need to refill water tank whatsoever.

[@MrRoombato]

@@SilverSilence002 That's not a bad idea! As long as it would be accessible to pull it out, check the dust bin, etc.

[@ROBMACDUI]

Still seems to hit objects very hard. Roborock vacs seem to be much gentler and chair legs are a mess as the Roborock seems to slide right around legs rarely tapping them. Wish you could get the object recognition and deep cleaning ability of the Roomba with the Navigation of the Roborock.

[@MrRoombato]

All LIDAR robots navigate much, much better than any Roomba, so yeah, you're right. But compared to the i7, the j7 is very gentle on collisions. At least when its camera can see things. Roomba made some sort of tech/patent sharing deal with Ecovacs, and the new ecovac robots have the dual rubber brush system, and people were hoping that Roombas would have LIDAR, but no. The CEO of iRobot once said "cameras are the future" and is apparently some sort of egomaniac who refuses to back from that idiotic statement, even after LIDAR robots started putting cameras on the front.

[@ROBMACDUI]

@@MrRoombato lol. Sounds a lot Like Musk and his insistence on cameras for his cars. I have a j7 and a S6 MaxV on its way to try out. I think if the MaxV doesn’t give me main brush issues on the few carpeted areas I have then I’ll keep it, otherwise I’ll give the room a a run. Thanks for the feedback and I love the channel!

[@MrRoombato]

@@ROBMACDUI Thank you! I think you'll love the S6 MaxV. I just wish it had a self-empty dock.

[@elfstone85]

This robot seems to have been built off of the i3 sensor guidance algorithms. The i3 also slows down early for things ahead and to the side of it based on the IR detection, which is increased in sensitivity compared to the i7. After a u-turn or the first turn after hitting an object, the i3 also tends to smash into things before it gets a chance to start a straight run and scan for IR reflections and slow down again. Much better than the i7 overall.

[@MrRoombato]

Agreed. But the i7 can't do that because its IR sensor is junk. You have to be able to detect things in order to slow down for them. The s9 behaves like the j7 and slows down because it has a dToF sensor in its bumper.

[@edgararcega3046]

10:19 that turbine xD. Pretty accurate though. Mine always startles my dogs when it goes off. It's funny because i was actually watching this video while my j7 was napping and when you were talking about your ramming the chairs mine was ramming my chairs in the distance. Almost in sync lmao.

[@robotvacuumreviewsandmore9791]

Awesome! I ordered my j7+ just today, I hope to review it soon!

[@punxnotdead3873]

Thanks, does it always crash into things or only during maping?

[@metalrain300]

as i watched this my j7 scared me as its mapping and came in my room and bumped my chair XD

[@jeffj9791]

I love my j7. I have tested all of the robots. Samsung, roborock etc. J7 by far is better than any other robot vacuum. I just wished it had lidar as it runs better with light versus at night with no light

[@MrRoombato]

In what sense do you believe it is better? I'm curious what users think. I can only evaluate stuff in my own home.

[@TigerTabCat1]

I actually would like to ask too. Had my j7 for a month and a half and about 80% of the time it cancels cleanings just listing in the app “cleaning canceled. Something went wrong. Object review normally appears here”. Frequent communication issues with base, and I have to leave lights on in my house otherwise it cancels within minutes of starting. After a month and a half an numerous mapping and daily clean everywhere runs, it still hasn’t mapped correctly Does yours even run at night? Mine cancels in the early morning or afternoon I assume due to low light.

[@unbaked_potato]

@@TigerTabCat1 According to iRobot, the j7 still needs adequate ambient light to navigate properly; I don't think that the light on the front of it is bright enough for very dark rooms.

[@jeffj9791]

@@MrRoombato I do not have to pick up anything. The app works flawlessly with my iPhone. Best vacuum on carpet. Many other things as well. This is one that I will keep. I returned all the other junk ones I tested

[@MrRoombato]

@@jeffj9791 Which ones did you test?

[@HisShadowX]

Anyone cringing over that bowl of water 😂 6:45 just imagine that falling on the report

[@MrRoombato]

lol

[@selotuyo9562]

So, does it automatically finish the mapping? Or do I have to stop it manually?

[@MrRoombato]

It automatically finishes.

[@CSPFP]

i have the i7 roomba, Carmen. She has mapped the main floor and now I'd like to have her map the upstairs as I understand she sees drop-offs and avoids stairs. How do I add a map for the upstairs, given that she cannot go back to homebase. You're help is appreciated. I have learned from your videos.

[@MrRoombato]

You can do it just by moving the robot to that floor and having it clean it. It should make a map. But since there is no station there , even though it should make a map you won't be able to do much with that map (you could move the station back and forth though).

[@lesleyturba9120]

I find the J7 has a too small of battery. I’m sure they have not increased the size of battery on this new model. Disappointed that they do not give an option to purchase a larger battery as they have designed a way to have the battery go into fail if you use a generic larger battery after using a generic for over a year and a half.

[@MrRoombato]

They don't need to make meaningful improvements because "roomba" is such a popular word that people use it to describe all robot vacuums. People keep buying their products no matter what they do or don't do.

[@bdubs85]

I like to map using the clean everywhere mode since the j7 didn't use its object recognition during mapping runs (this may change with firmware updates). It got stuck in and nearly pulled down a couple of lamps by the cord, which would've normally been avoided during a clean run or if the object avoidance was enabled during mapping, so I don't use the mapping mode anymore. Note the lamp cords were normally in a keep out zone that I had enabled on my s9 and m6.

[@RimonDahan]

I suppose (as a RoboVac Eufy G30 Hybrid & iRobot 585 user), that you first need to run the i7 & j7 *five to seven times*, until it will understand the map of your home. So, run your j7 (or i7 several times (without side brush) and check how it will preform.

[@MrRoombato]

Two or three times should do it, but some houses may take more. And yeah, I did recommend removing the side brush in my mapping tips and trick video, but my house isn't as dirty as it used to be (I have like 5 robots cleaning every day!) so it wasn't a big deal. You can use the map after 1 pass, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[@taylortisaac]

For having so many robot vacuums, you sure got a lot of dust and dirt on your floors.

[@MrRoombato]

I have dogs and I live in the woods (Catskill Mountains). No sidewalks.

[@coltonsvacuumcollection]

I was hoping you would get this and will you ever get a shark robot vacuum because I love my shark iq

[@MrRoombato]

I almost picked up at Shark AI during black friday but I have too much going on at the moment. Maybe later. The Sark IQ is too old to make a worthwhile subject for a video, it would be like buying an i7 in 2022.

[@coltonsvacuumcollection]

@@MrRoombato yeah I see what you mean

[@aleksandrafrankowska411]

Świetny robot, chociaż ja jestem wierna mojemu modelowi i7

[@MrRoombato]

The only real difference is the object recognition. So your loyalty is reasonable.

[@BrodeyDoverosx]

My thoughts exactly. State of the art sensors, cameras, etc and they still heavily RELY on smashing into objects lol.

[@MrRoombato]

LIDAR is state of the art. These things have cameras.

[@rubentrigo4797]

​@@MrRoombato thanks for your videos, they are very good and helpfull. I have however, some different views about the lidar. Yes it is very functional, however i believe it is a "stupid" tech. It cannot learn. The vision of irobot, betting in cameras makes sense. Like what tesla is doing. Developing the system and sofware so it can learn in time and understand and update data about everthing that it sees, thus becoming more inteligent. Its something to consider in a medium to long term. J7 or J9 will only become more inteligent in time. Lidar systems will be only what they are. More efficient, at the moment. Also, i think its normal for roomba to hit things more than normal, they are trying to understand if what they are hitting is something they can push forward(like curtins or pending plants, or sheets at the sides of the beds, so it can go pass it and vaccum under de beds, etc). Tks.

[@BionicRooster]

Question - I just bought the j7+ and while charging the lights turn off before fully charged. Is this normal?

[@MrRoombato]

If you mean they cycle on and off then yes, as far as I can recall, that's normal.

[@BionicRooster]

@@MrRoombato Thanks, and thanks for your very informative vids on the j7. I now realize the cycle of on off is the vac winking at me to say "Well, I'm ready to go bud, let me loose!" LOL

[@LorinCroft]

My j7 will not return to its home base.. Very frustrating..I did a mapping runand have cleaned several times but it always gets stuck and has the docking issue code. Yes I have at least 1.5 ft. on each side and 4 ft in front of the Roomba..Not sure what to do I had an i3 and returned it to Amazon as it would not connect to the App. . This one might be going back to Amazon as well. Perhaps operator issue??

[@MrRoombato]

Other than making sure your dock is plugged in, there's really not much you can do. Sounds like something isn't working. I had this issue with an i6, and ended up sending it back.

[@LorinCroft]

@@MrRoombato I just got off the phone with Irobot and she told me to try and move the base to a different location. I also have that cleaning base thing that empties the vacuum into a bigger back, maybe that is part of the problem.. I will move it to a different location and report back. I have had it for 2 weeks and it has not returned once or even emptied the vacuum I still have to empty it by myself..

[@MrRoombato]

@@LorinCroft Are you using the self empty dock/base? Your comment implied that maybe you had two, and you were using the non-self empty one. In any case, you can test it just by putting the robot next to the dock and telling it to go home (I don't remember if J7 has a home button, but you can do it through the app). If it can't return when it's right in front of it, something is defective.

[@janekkokos3871]

Ja jestem bardzo zadowolony z mojego obecnego modelu, ale moze niedlugo czas na nowy :)

[@MrRoombato]

Look into LIDAR robots before getting another Roomba. Not saying you shouldn't, but be aware of your options.

[@ch0rchie]

What are your thoughts on the j7 in regards to floor scratching as compared to your i7 and s9?

[@MrRoombato]

It's an i7 with a front camera and maybe a better processor, so it's like the i7. Keep the brushes fairly clean (once a week is fine) and it won't scratch.

[@ch0rchie]

@@MrRoombato one other question...I don't need mopping, so I am also considering the Roborock Q5+ with LIDAR. What are your thoughts on the J5+ vs the Roborock Q5+ for mapping and overall cleaning? My concern is the amount of area the J5+ misses around obstacles (like chair and table legs) with object avoidance turned on. Also, being able to run in the dark with LIDAR seems like a nice bonus.

[@MrRoombato]

@@ch0rchie Well, let's put it this way. Once you get the Q5 (or any good lidar robot), you will be amazed and wonder how you ever used a Roomba. :)

[@ch0rchie]

@@MrRoombato well, that makes up my mind, then. LIDAR it is!!

[@geekless]

At this point it’s just weird that it bumps into things at all, no? Lidar is just so much better IMO.

[@MrRoombato]

LIDAR is a lot better, but LIDAR robots either also bump into things or they don't come close enough to walls and corners. There seems to be no middle ground.

[@geekless]

@@MrRoombato I've actually had the opposite experience with Roborock. I have 2 S4's and they only time they bump into things is if the object is too low for the Lidar to pick up. Have you tried any Roborock models? And as far as getting close to walls and corners, they are incredible! Consistently .5" to 1" away. And the side brush takes care of that space.

[@MrRoombato]

@@geekless Yes, I have a Roborock S6 MaxV. And like all LIDAR robots, it doesn't get close to walls. Maybe we have different standards for what close to walls and "takes care of" mean. :)

[@geekless]

@@MrRoombato Could be!

[@eekeek1451]

One thing I noticed is that roombas hate edge cleaning with no go zones. When it runs into one, instead of going around, it starts edge cleaning a completely different area than before, sometimes a place where it has already been.

[@MrRoombato]

I've never noticed that, but it doesn't surprise me.

[@eekeek1451]

@@MrRoombato would you say there is any advantage to using a Roomba over other brands?

[@MrRoombato]

@@eekeek1451 As much as it burns me to say this, yes. Even though VSLAM is hot garbage by modern standards, almost everything else about Roombas is better. Except the s9, which will destroy your floors unless they are carpet or stone/tile.

[@seanfrancis662]

I returned my J7+ after 5 weeks. My home is all carpet and I have a cat and a dog. The J7+ had major issues with picking up fur and navigating in any sort of efficient way. We even had it both repaired and then replaced by iRobot but the issues persisted. Not only was its pickup bad but it even developed a squeaking wheel on both the original and the replacement within a week of use. Genuinely disappointed after giving it a very fair go.

[@MrRoombato]

Sorry you had that experience. What did you replace it with?

[@seanfrancis662]

@@MrRoombato Im in the UK and was able to order an Ecovacs T9 Aivi via Amazon Germany, the one with the iRobot rollers. So far its been superior in almost every way with the exception of the obstacle avoidance which is a bit hit-n-miss. I've read a lot of people complaining about the app but I have yet to have any issues with it. I am 3 weeks in and the cleaning performance is pretty top notch, deals with the pet hair perfectly.

[@MrRoombato]

@@seanfrancis662 I take it you don't have the auto-empty dock? :) Unless they changed it from the one they use with the T8, that thing cannot deal with pet hair at all.

[@seanfrancis662]

@@MrRoombato I do not as it's not yet available. That may be the stumbling point! Although the dual suction holes are larger and closer together than the T8/T9 variants because of the different roller configuration so fingers crossed that helps.

[@MrRoombato]

@@seanfrancis662 Oh! That will be very interesting. If you get one, please let me know!

[@quailrun8843]

You should test it in the dark on how well it performs. The j7 is like a bat even though it has a light in the front. The j7 would do a few rounds and goes back to the base. The i7 would work like an i3 so at least you get your floor vacuumed. FYI - I use velcro strips to prevent damages to the furniture - something irobot should have given in the package. Cleaning wise - the i7 picks up more than the j7.

[@MrRoombato]

I will do a head to head at some point.

[@TigerTabCat1]

I had an i7 I was extremely happy with. Sadly the teeth in the motor broke and Best Buy let me get a full refund. Never had an issue with the i7 at all. I got the j7 to upgrade and I’m incredibly frustrated at how much worse the j7 is. If the gave it an update to work like an i3 when there’s insufficient light, that would fix a lot of issues.

[@MrRoombato]

@@TigerTabCat1 Can you explain why you think it's worse than an i7?

[@maxdeathlore]

It seems to be such a difference in navigation from the LIDAR robots. I don’t see myself ever buying a VSLAM. I prefer my chairs and fridges unscuffed! ;)

[@MrRoombato]

Agreed. Although to be fair, this robot is pretty good about not smashing into things. Except for chair legs, it bumps everything pretty gently.

[@mltdwn21]

Just had to return my J7+, was scratching the hardwood floor and the rear wheel was leaving indentation trails. Also going over the threshold, if it happened to get stuck going up it would keep spinning the tires and scratch the threshold before backing off and going up fine. I just can’t find one that doesn’t do a number on hardwood.

[@MrRoombato]

Anything without rubber brushes or a deeply floating brush housing should be fine. So basically any LIDAR robot. The Roborock S7 may or may not be okay, but they are sending me an S7 MaxV Ultra for testing at the end of this month and I'll have some answers then. In the meantime, I highly recommend the Dreame Z10 Pro.

[@lackr0073]

I have had both lidar robots (ECOVAC T8) and the newer roomba J7+ Combo, I prefer the roomba. You are correct that the lidar robots are more precise and have more efficient cleaning routes, but that's also the down fall of the ECOVACs. Example, you do a mapping run with a ridar robot, setup your rooms, schedules, etc... everything works great until you place a large amazon box on the floor in the same room as the robot dock, it thinks it is in a strange environment/can't locate itself and starts a new map. This is a BIG downfall of ECOVACs, it makes them almost unusable, and that's why most users complain about maps being blown away. Roomba mapping system doesn't seem to get messed up when you "live" in your house....

[@MrRoombato]

That's just Ecovacs though. I don't know what their problem is but they need to fire all of their programmers.

[@hellonovembersun1539]

Happen to my T8 AIVI too. Two year of use, very frequent new maps, cannot avoid cords, small toys ... don't know what should I go for next, roomba J7 plus?

[@MrRoombato]

@@hellonovembersun1539 Nooooo. Get a Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra or Dreame L10 Ultra. If you just want a vacuum get a Dreame D10 Plus.

[@lackr0073]

@@MrRoombato I agree with that IF he doesn’t have high pile dense carpet (3/4 inch or higher) and also WANTS a mop, that’s the only reason I got a J7 combo. Otherwise I would have gone with the your recommendation also.

[@MrRoombato]

@@lackr0073 As long as it works for you. As much as I hate iRobot for not adopting modern technology, the j7 works well and is reliable, unlike many other robots.