Dyson recreates viral AR vacuuming app but there’s a catch

Dyson is working on an AR app to gamify your vacuuming – but it will only be available on newer iPhone devices.

There are not many people in the world who enjoy housework. It can be particularly vexing if you miss a spot and don’t realize it until too late. Augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality devices such as the Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro have led to some clever programmers developing apps that transform mundane tasks into something more interesting.

Now, Dyson, one of the biggest vacuum manufacturers is capturing the essence of this with its own AR vacuuming app named Dyson CleanTrace (via Road to VR). But, it bears a striking resemblance to a prototype seen several months ago.

Back in January, VR developer Daniel Beauchamp posted a video showing off his latest mixed-reality creation. It was an app that used a Quest Pro headset to make vacuuming a bit easier by showing areas that had not yet been cleaned, ensuring you never missed a spot.

Rather than using a VR or AR headset, the Dyson CleanTrace app requires the user to have an iPhone 12 Pro or better to work, since it uses the LiDAR built into high-end iPhones to function.

Dyson claims that the app was inspired by the software used by its 360 Vis NavT robot vacuum cleaners, but there is still a very strong resemblance between Beauchamp’s prototype and the CleanTrace app.

The app is planned to be available to customers from June 2024, when it will be released alongside the phone attachment.