And turnaround overall market.

Despite the fact that robotic sales slid 31% in unit terms and 17% in value in 2016, according to recent figures from GfK, Samsung will launch its next instalment in its robotic vacuum range in the coming months. The POWERbot VR7000 was presented at the company’s Regional Forum in Singapore last week.

Speaking to Appliance Retailer, Samsung head of product for home appliances, Mike Lilly said, “We have developed this product to drive consumers back into the robotic vacuum market. We have had robotic vacuum cleaners in the market for some time now, but the category has been declining over the past few years because the original robots, and some existing robots, are effectively sweepers. The POWERbot VR7000 now brings suction power to our range.”

“Robotic vacuums are all about convenience – it can vacuum the house when you’re not there as it can be controlled by the Samsung app. The robot can map the house, each room can be named, and you can tell it what room you want it to clean.

“We want everyone to own more than one vacuum cleaner at home – robotic for convenience, stick vac for spot cleaning and a deep clean with the canister,” he added.

The POWERbot VR7000’s Edge Clean Master feature enables the unit to come within 15mm of the wall by placing the unit’s wide 288mm brush close to the front, enabling the unit to easily gather dust and hair when it reaches the wall. Additionally, the Auto Shutter feature automatically drops down a barrier to sweep up more dust collected closer to the edges.

The unique Self-Cleaning Brush System reduces the amount of dust and hair that gets trapped in the bristles. It collects debris in the centre of the brush, facilitating easier transfer into the dustbin and thereby cutting down on regular maintenance.

The vacuum also has a full view sensor with a camera on the top that maps the ceiling so it avoids any obstacles with a sensor also at the front to effectively make the most efficient path through the home. On a full charge, the vacuum can run for 30 minutes on powerful mode or 1.5 hours on normal mode. It is much slimmer than its predecessors, measuring only 9.7cm in height to get under more furniture.