Matic has added voice and gesture control to its robot vacuum and mop through a software update called Matic Cues. Voice control is really good; just say, “Hey Matic, vacuum the kitchen,” and Matic gets to work without unlocking a phone or opening an app. The feature understands commands in more than 70 spoken languages and is rolling out to every existing Matic via an over-the-air update.

Co-founder Mehul Nariyawala describes it as nine years in the making. The team began pursuing natural voice and gesture interaction in 2017 and produced its first demonstration in 2018. Voice control is powered by Google Gemini, and commands are flexible—target a room, entire home, or even say “Come here.” Gesture control lets you point at a mess and say “Hey Matic, clean this,” combining audio and visual input.

Matic costs $1,245 and is available directly from the company. For a limited time, buy through a referral link to receive a free Annual Bag Pass. The update “untethers” families from the app for everyday cleaning while keeping the app for precise control. Direct voice control wins on speed and reliability, making “Hey Matic, clean the kitchen” feel like the obvious way a home robot should work.