Dyson's new flagship vacuum knows exactly what kind of floor it's on and adapts to save you battery – here's how it works

In my opinion, "Auto" modes are one of the best innovations in the vacuum cleaner market. How exactly such a mode will works is likely to vary depending on the model (and how expensive it is); but, broadly speaking, Auto mode will see the vacuum increase or decrease power according to the surface being tackled, saving you from having to manually toggle between different settings as you clean.

A number of the best cordless vacuums on the market have some kind of automation mode, but the one on the V16 Piston Animal – the newly announced Dyson flagship vacuum – is particularly clever.

Dyson first introduced an Auto mode on its V11 vacuum, and it has been getting steadily more advanced with each new release. I asked a Dyson engineer exactly how the latest version works.

"We now control brush for speed as well as suction," explains Steph Parker, who helped design the V16. "It's intelligently understanding whether you're on hard floor or carpet and changing both accordingly. Historically, we've only kind of ramped up suction, but not as intelligently, and definitely not to the extreme of brush bar as well." The result is the most efficient clean using the least amount of battery life – a key goal for any cordless vacuum.

On carpeted floors, the spinning brushroll is important because it agitates the carpet fibers to release the dirt that's trapped within. However, on a hard floor, dust sits on the surface, which means you don't need the roller to be whirling away.

"On hard floors, you don't need your brush bar spinning as much," continues Steph. "By slowing the spin, you save energy. And being less aggressive on hard floors is good as well."

That latter point is relevant because Dyson's previous two flagship models (the Gen5detect and V15 Detect) included a separate, entirely soft floorhead especially for delicate hard floors; with the V16, one floorhead does it all.

The new "All Floor Cones Sense" floorhead includes strips of a soft material for hard floors, and bristles for carpet. The bristles are cut slightly short so that they make contact on carpet fibers, but not on hard floors.

The roller adjustment is only part of the equation. Like the two models before it, the V16 has sensors in its floorhead that enable it to determine the size and volume of particles being sucked up. The vacuum then uses this information to raise or lower suction power appropriately to clear the dirt. It will also report back in real-time, on its screen.

What are other brands doing?

Dyson isn't the only brand to be amplifying its automation efforts. Today's best Shark vacuums have all manner of detection capabilities. Models such as the Detect Pro Cordless and PowerDetect Cordless can adjust cleaning power based on floor type and dirt levels, but can also sense when they're close to the edge of a room – where dust can collect – and ramp up suction on the relevant side of the floorhead in response.

Samsung is another brand that's exploring more advanced automation features. Like the V16, the Samsung Bespoke Jet AI Ultra can also adjust brushroll speed and suction based on floor type. However, Samsung goes one further, claiming its vacuum can drill down to determine specific floor types, from dense carpet to mats, using AI. It will then adjust suction power and brushroll speed to deliver cleaning power equivalent to using "Mid" mode, while saving battery power without getting to the point the vacuum is too difficult to push around a room.

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