Matic robot vacuum now controllable with voice and gestures
The new Matic Cues update allows direct voice commands or pointing at messes for cleaning.
1Direct voice command operation
With the Matic Cues update, the robot vacuum now responds to direct voice commands like 'Hey Matic, vacuum the kitchen' without needing to unlock a phone or open an app. It understands commands in over 70 languages and will come to all existing Matic devices via wireless update, becoming standard on new robots. Co-founder Mehul Nariyawala reveals this feature represents nine years of development work.
2Accessibility for children and seniors
Matic Cues was specifically designed for children, grandparents, or non-English speaking visitors who might not be app-savvy. Developed under the philosophy that 'a truly intelligent robot should learn human communication rather than expect humans to learn new interfaces,' it eliminates app dependency for daily cleaning while maintaining app access for detailed controls and scheduling.
3Powered by Google Gemini
Matic's voice control runs on Google Gemini infrastructure, making it particularly interesting in light of Google's collaboration with Apple to modernize Siri. The system allows natural language communication instead of requiring memorized command phrases. It supports various instructions including vacuuming, mopping, or both; cleaning specific rooms or entire homes; pausing jobs; or sending the robot to its dock.
4Privacy-focused design
Matic maintains its privacy reputation by processing all intelligence and visual data on the robot itself. No data is sent to the cloud without explicit user consent. Designed in California by a team with deep computer vision expertise (including founders from Nest's security camera team), the five-camera 3D vision system provides significant trust factors for an internet-connected home device.
5Gesture control capability
The more futuristic half of Matic Cues allows users to point at messes and say 'Hey Matic, clean this.' The robot combines audio input with visual data to determine the targeted area. When addressed with 'Hey Matic,' it turns to face the user, creating interaction that feels more like getting a room occupant's attention than commanding an appliance.
6Pushing hardware limits
These new features were developed using existing hardware. Founded in 2017, Matic demonstrated early voice/gesture interaction prototypes by fall 2018. While gesture control operates slightly slower than voice commands, it provides significant convenience for non-app users and serves as an impressive showcase of the robot's capabilities.
7Apple integrations
Earlier this year, Matic added Apple Home and Siri support via Matter. This integration has matured to deliver reliable experiences across iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac. The recent Live Activities feature displays cleaning progress on iPhone lock screens, Dynamic Island, Mac, and Apple Watch without needing to open the app. While these integrations are useful, direct voice control leads in speed and reliability.
8Revolutionizing home robotics
Representing $115M in funding and 9 years of R&D, Matic Cues realizes the vision of creating the world's first intuitive home robot. This system—where you can point at spilled coffee and command cleanup—has potential to fundamentally change how we interact with home robotics. The natural feel and quick response of voice control particularly enhances daily use, potentially setting new standards for home automation.
Original article: 9to5Mac — Matic robot süpürgesi artık ses ve hareketle kontrol edilebiliyor