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Alex Corn edited this page Jun 5, 2022 · 6 revisions

iRobot Plugin for HomeSeer HS4

The iRobot plugin for HS4 enables owners of iRobot robot vacuums and mops to integrate their robots with HS4. Real-time robot status is brought into HomeSeer, along with the ability to directly control your robot from within HS4's UI and events. For example, you might create an event to start your robot when you double-tap on a wall switch, or send the robot home when a door unlocks. For those robots that require light to operate (900 series, i7, j7, s9) you could automatically turn on lights when the robot starts after sunset and turn them back off again when it finishes.

This HS4 plugin communicates with your robots directly over the local network via WiFi, so no Internet connection is required for normal operation. However, an Internet connection is required for initial setup to authenticate with the iRobot cloud and retrieve your robots' passwords. Be advised that the robot can only support a single LAN connection at a time, so if the iRobot HS4 plugin is running, the iRobot mobile app will communicate with your robot via the iRobot cloud. As long as you have an Internet connection both on the robot and on your mobile device, you won't notice any difference in operation communicating with the robot via the cloud as opposed to directly over the local network. However, some operations (such as changing the robot's WiFi details) can only be done over a direct network connection, so in these cases you will need to temporarily disable the iRobot HS4 plugin to enable your mobile device to connect to the robot directly over the local network.

Manual Topics

Other Considerations

Keeping Robots Awake

The plugin maintains a constant connection with robots, which might keep some robots awake and prevent them from turning off their LEDs after a period of time.

These robots are confirmed to stay awake and keep their LEDs on:

  • 600 series
  • 800 series

These robots are confirmed not to keep their LEDs on:

  • i series
  • Braava jet m series

This is harmless, but it will drain the robot's battery more quickly when it's left off the home base. No increase in power draw was observed when on the charging dock as a result of this behavior.

Robot IP Addresses

The plugin will attempt to automatically discover a robot's new IP address on your network if the IP changes, but auto-discovery isn't 100% reliable on all networks. For best reliability, it's recommended to configure your robot to use a static IP.

Supported Robots

All Wi-Fi connected iRobot robots are supported, but only these robots have been directly tested:

  • Roomba 890
  • Roomba i7 (with clean base)
  • Braava jet m6

If the plugin isn't working properly with your robot, please go to the Manage Robots page, send a debug report, then create a new topic in the HomeSeer support forum and include your report ID.