Roborock robot vacuum picks up your socks and more

Roborock’s new Saros Z70 robot vacuum features a first-of-its-kind robotic arm that can sense obstacles in its path, such as socks and sandals, the company said when it showed off the robot at CES 2025. This marks a departure from the traditional approach. from obstacle avoidance to active obstacle removal in robotic vacuum cleaners.

But a bot vacuum with a robotic arm could be expensive, as other new Roborock models with many of the same features but without the robotic arm will cost $1,600, the company said.

Roborock Saros Z70 robot vacuum cleaner with robotic arm

Many robot vacuum cleaners are patrolling the growing market for them, but some debuting at CES 2025 are breaking new ground. Now Roborock is adding, among other cutting-edge features, a robotic arm that lets you pick up objects instead of just walking around them (and it looks like something out of the old version). Robot Wars TV show). Among other things, Switchbot is equipped with a new mini robot vacuum cleaner built into multitasking platform called K20+ Pro which also purifies the air, keeps your home safe, and delivers small items.

new Roborok Robot vacuum cleaner Saros Z70modernization of the previous model, equipped with the proprietary OmniGrip system. noted in press materials. It is a five-axis robotic arm that can fold into a thin 7.98 cm thick vacuum cleaner body. Equipped with precision sensors, a camera and LED lighting, the arm can detect and remove obstacles weighing up to 300 grams. This includes socks, napkins, small towels, sandals and perhaps small toys.

The cleaning process occurs in three stages:

1. The vacuum cleaner maps the room and identifies moving objects.
2. He returns to remove these obstacles
3. It clears previously blocked areas.

While this methodical approach may take longer than conventional cleaning, it reaches areas that were previously inaccessible to robot vacuum cleaners, the company said.

Autonomous system StarSight 2.0

For enhanced navigation and obstacle detection, the Saros Z70 uses Roborock’s new standalone StarSight 2.0 system, which combines traditional Laser Distance Sensor (LDS) technology with dual-illuminated 3D time-of-flight sensors and RGB cameras. The system’s artificial intelligence capabilities can identify up to 108 different types of obstacles, and future updates will allow users to teach the robot to recognize certain objects, potentially helping to find lost objects.

The vacuum cleaner boasts impressive technical specifications, including 22,000 Pa suction power – one of the highest in the industry. It features a dual anti-tangle system, FreeFlow main brush and FlexiArm Riser side brush. The Saros Z70 also includes dual rotating mops that can automatically detach from the base station when not needed and raise up to 2.2cm to avoid carpets.

Safety features for a slow robotic arm

Some sources at CES described the hand as slow, taking about a minute to process each object. But Roborock says its capabilities have improved since initial demonstrations and continues to improve the technology.

Safety features include a child lock and an emergency stop button, while the robotic arm is disabled by default but can be easily activated via the Roborock app. Users can customize how the hand interacts by specifying what objects it should handle and where they should be placed.

The Saros Z70 is paired with the new Roborock 4.0 multifunctional docking station, which provides charging, auto-emptying, water tank management and mop maintenance with hot water washing and hot air drying. A new 2.5 hour fast charging feature has been added to minimize downtime.

2 additional models of robotic vacuum cleaners (but without robotic arm)

In addition to the Z70, Roborock announced two additional models: the Saros 10 and Saros 10R, both priced at $1,599.99 and scheduled for release on February 10th. These models have a lot in common with the Z70, but without the robotic arm. All three models will support Matter 1.4, providing integration with various smart home platforms, including Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa and Samsung SmartThings.

Roborock said it plans to launch the Saros Z70 in the first half of 2025, but the company did not provide pricing details.