This Robovac Has an Arm and Legs: The Future of Robot Vacuums

The competition heated up on the CES show floor as robot vacuum manufacturers Dreame and Roborock unveiled their latest innovations, showcasing models equipped with limbs for advanced functionality.

Dreame introduced its X50 Ultra earlier this week, marking the debut of the first robovac that can navigate steps and transitions of up to 6cm high using its legs. Meanwhile, competitor Roborock presented its flagship model, the Saros Z70, which features an arm capable of picking up items such as socks.

Not wanting to be outdone, Dreame showcased another upcoming model at CES, which combines step-climbing legs with its own robotic arm.

Dreame’s robotic model boasts a sturdier arm compared to Roborock’s, claiming to lift items weighing up to 500 grams, while Roborock’s can only manage 300 grams. Dreame asserts that its arm can pick up larger items, such as sneakers up to men’s size 42 (size 9 in the US), and transport them to designated locations within the home. This capability could also apply to small toys, allowing users to designate specific areas for the robot to carry items, like toys to the playroom and shoes to the front door.

Despite these claims, the demonstration did not showcase the robot successfully picking up a sneaker or any object due to connectivity issues on the notoriously unreliable CES show floor Wi-Fi. However, the robust arm was seen moving fluidly while the robot elevated itself on its two small legs, resembling a miniature horse.

Another intriguing feature is a separate toolbox with various brushes that Dreame claims the arm can connect to, allowing it to access corners and tight spaces unreachable by the robot itself to clean out dust and dirt. Additionally, they introduced a new base station capable of dispensing different mopping pads, enabling the robot to select appropriate pads for various cleaning tasks — one for the kitchen and another for the bathroom — to prevent cross-contamination throughout the home.

According to Dreame’s Longdong Chen, this versatile robot vacuum with step-climbing, tool-using, and arm capabilities is expected to be available later this year, although the price remains unannounced. However, it’s reasonable to expect it will come at a premium cost.