Roombas fill an emotional vacuum for owners—literally and figuratively—according to baffled scientists and delighted introverts. As these robot vacuums clean up homes, they also clean up emotional messes, proving that sometimes the best support system is fully automated and shaped like a frisbee.

One Roomba owner even introduced the gadget to his parents, while others “Roomba-ize” homes by buying new rugs or fridges just for their robot sidekick. No surprise, “robot pet” trends and viral Roomba videos are exploding, as emotional AI tech sweeps pop culture.