Technology

The future of housework is here: An app that turns vacuuming into a game and makes it. fun?

If I can't afford a robot to actually do it *for* me, this might be the next best thing.

Vacuuming is a relatively straightforward chore, but there's always room for improvement.

That's why Dyson is releasing a 'CleanTrace' app which hopes to not only make cleaning more fun but also have your carpets and floors more spick and span.

It's only compatible with their Gen5detect vacuum at this stage, and it works by using your phone camera to trace the floor, displaying a purple line once you've cleaned over a spot.

The app will cost NZ$35 and will only be available on the Pro and Pro Max editions of the newer iPhones - sorry Android users.

Dyson said in a press release that they developed the technology because humans aren't the best cleaners. Apparently, we will vacuum the same area multiple times, while forgetting other spots completely.

"Our research shows that consumers regularly overestimate the amount of time they clean," Dyson said. "Data shows that around 80% of cleaning sessions last less than 10 minutes, yet people claim they vacuum for an average of 24 minutes per session."

"Moreover, consumers are haphazard and inefficient – regularly covering the same areas multiple times and missing other spots altogether, demonstrating the need for the Dyson CleanTrace."

So, they took some inspiration from their robot vacuum cleaners.

"We realised that we could all learn a thing or two from the methodical cleaning approach of our robot vacuums," said Dyson Home's VP of Engineering Charlie Park.

"Unlike most humans doing the cleaning, Dyson robots know where they are in the room, where they have been, and where they have yet to go."

"[The app] gives you the ability to see where you have and haven't cleaned, which, combined with our onboard particle sensing technology, gives proof that the floor is truly clean."

CleanTrace will be released in June this year, so hang in there with the boring chores - it could be about to get a bit more exciting.