The Matic Robot Vacuum Charms and Sucks (in a Good Way)

Do you remember the first time you used a robot vacuum? I remember mine. It was one of iRobot’s early Roombas. I was transfixed, watching this chunky black disc whiz noisily around, bashing into walls and furniture before zipping off in seemingly random directions like a hockey puck slapped haphazardly across the ice. It wasn’t good at its job, but in a way, its clumsy sort of chaos made it charming.

Nothing is charming about most robot vacuums, now. In fact, most of them are boring as…