Roborock’s new robot vacuum has an arm to pick up dirty socks and underwear

Modern vacuum cleaner robots are sophisticated, capable of vacuuming, mopping, scrubbing stubborn stains and avoiding obstacles such as socks and slippers that might otherwise trip them. With the release of Roborock’s Saros Z70, you can add the ability to pick up those pieces of debris scattered around the room instead of cleaning around them.

Roborock’s Saros Z70 featured the Sunday before CES in Las Vegasfeatures a first-of-its-kind five-axis robotic arm called OmniGrip, which pops out of the bot when it encounters objects. It picks up any items weighing less than 10.5 ounces and places them in a single pile or designated basket so it can continue cleaning unimpeded.

CNET was invited to take a peek at the Saros Z70 in New York last month, ahead of this week’s launch. The advanced cleaning concept was a hit with the dozen or so home tech reporters in attendance, even if the execution didn’t go exactly to plan.

A poor start gave way to an impressive display

Debuting on stage at the Soho House members’ club in midtown Manhattan, Roborock’s Saros Z70 prototype initially refused to leave its room (who among us hasn’t had stage fright?), a mechanical problem we’re sure removed the retail version. After a few false starts, the hand was freed from its cockpit, at which time the thin round vacuum cleaner approached a crumpled sock, sending its hand snaking out and down to catch it, much like those infernal claw machine games found in the arcades.

After he started, the robot hand picked up some socks. He dropped the pickup every now and then, but didn’t give up until he had it in his paws, then obediently carried each one to an area of ​​the stage designated by a brand representative via the mobile app. The representative told us that the current version is better at recognizing black socks than white ones.

Although the demo was mostly controlled, the final version of the vacuum cleaner will search for and remove debris on its own during regular cleaning cycles. During initial cleaning, the Saros Z70 should perform normal duties, but also detect and mark objects it can pick up. In theory, it will then go back to items like socks, tissues and small towels to sort through during the second round of cleaning.

The Saros Z70 is able to detect up to 108 different obstacles. Although the list of objects OmniGrip can actually pick up is much smaller, more items will be supported in future software upgrades, according to Roborock’s official release. Those who buy the first-generation model can expect OmniGrip remote enhancements without having to pay more money.

It won’t grab your child or cat by accident

And for those worried about the hand grabbing an innocent cat or a lock of a toddler’s hair, Roborock says the hand’s grip isn’t strong enough to cause harm. Just in case, the vacuum includes a child lock and a safe stop button that allows for immediate shutdown in any scenario.

There are also pet-friendly features that allow users to check on their animals, take snapshots and schedule cruises on demand. The vacuum moves to the side when approaching pets so as not to scare them.

New advanced object detection

While the gripper arm gets most of the glory, none of its performance would be possible without the precision sensors, camera and LED light fixed to the robot’s slim frame, all of which are controlled by the next-generation StarSight navigation and guidance system. Roborock object recognition.

“Instead of using a traditional LDS (LIDAR) tower module for navigation, the system integrates next-generation dual light 3D time-of-flight sensors and AI-powered RGB cameras to determine its position, its surroundings and whether the object it’s capturing is overweight,” Roborok said in a statement.

Hand aside, this is a top-tier robot vacuum cleaner

In addition to its fancy new appendage, the Roborock Saros Z70 lacks the basics of a robovac. It features 22,000 Pa of suction combined with a dual anti-tangle system that deploys to prevent hair from getting tangled around the vacuum. The machine’s dual-rotating mops can be lifted up to 2.2 centimeters (just under an inch), which allows for increased air circulation and faster drying, and prevents the vacuum from dragging dirt across clean surfaces. All this comes in one of the slimmest robot vacuums on the market at just 7.98 cm (3.14 inches) tall.

The Saros Z70 will be available later this year, according to a brand spokesperson. Prices have not yet been announced.