First look: This new robot vacuum picks up socks and underwear as it cleans them

With the launch of Roborock’s Saros Z70 on Sunday, its first ever mass market launch Robot vacuums With mechanics, your next home helper may be able to pick up pieces of debris scattered throughout the room instead of just cleaning around them. I was invited to take a sneak peek at the Saros Z70 in New York last month, ahead of its launch this week in CES. The 10 or so home tech reporters in attendance were in awe as the robot arm snatched up crumpled socks from the stage and piled them neatly to the side — even if the demo didn’t go exactly as planned (more on that later).

Roborock’s Saros Z70 was unveiled on Sunday before CES in Las Vegasfeatures a first-of-its-kind five-axis robotic arm dubbed OmniGrip that emerges from the robot when it encounters the elements. It lifts any items weighing less than 10.5 ounces and places them in a single pile or designated basket so it can continue cleaning without disruption.

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A rocky start gave way to an impressive display

Making its first appearance on stage at the Soho House members club in midtown Manhattan, the Roborock Saros Z70 prototype initially refused to come out of its room (who hasn’t suffered from stage fright?), and we’ve confirmed that the retail version’s mechanical glitch has been fixed. After a few false starts, the arm was released from its onboard compartment, at which time the slender, circular void approached a crumpled sock, twisting its arm out and down to catch it, just like the infernal claw machine games found in the arcades.

Once it started working, the robot arm picked up several socks. She dropped the pickups occasionally but didn’t give up until she had them in her clutches, then carried each one to a single area on stage designated by a brand representative through a mobile app. The rep told us that the current version is better at recognizing black socks than white ones.

While the demo was mostly controlled, the final version of the vacuum will seek out and remove debris itself during regular cleaning cycles. During the initial scanning process, the Saros Z70 must perform normal duties but also detect and mark objects it can lift. In theory, you’ll then go back to items like socks, tissues, and small towels to tidy up during a second round of cleaning.

The Saros Z70 can detect up to 108 different obstacles. While the list of things the OmniGrip can actually lift is much smaller, more items will be supported in future software upgrades, according to Roborock’s official release. Those who purchase the first-generation model can expect telematics improvements to the OmniGrip without having to shell out more money.

Your child or cat won’t catch it by accident

And for those worried about the arm catching an innocent cat or a strand of a toddler’s hair, Roborock says the arm’s grip isn’t strong enough to cause any damage. Just in case, the vacuum includes a child lock and safety stop button, allowing 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 to avoid scaring them.

Identify new advanced organisms

While the grasping arm gets most of the glory, none of its performance would be possible without tiny sensors, a camera and an LED light mounted on the robot’s slim frame, all controlled by Roborock’s next-generation StarSight navigation and object recognition system. .

“Instead of using a traditional LDS (LIDAR) tower module for navigation, the system integrates next-generation dual-illuminated 3D time-of-flight sensors and AI-powered RGB cameras to determine its location, its surroundings, and whether the object it is holding is present,” Roborock said in a statement. “Weight gain.”

Arm aside, this is a top-notch robot vacuum

In addition to its flashy new accessory, the Roborock Saros Z70 has the basics of a robovac. It has a suction power of 22,000Pa, combined with a dual anti-tangle system, which spreads itself to prevent hair from tangling around the vacuum. The machine’s dual-spin mops can lift up to 2.2cm (just under one inch), allowing for increased air circulation, faster drying and preventing the vacuum from pulling dirt across clean surfaces. All this comes inside one of the slimmest robot vacuums on the market at just 7.98 cm (3.14 inches) high.

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