Embargoed until Monday, January 6, 2025 at 1:00 AM (PST) Sunday, January 5, 2025 at 9:00 AM PST
Beijing-based sweeping robot manufacturer Roborock launched a new model in January 2025 with an AI-driven folding arm for clearing obstacles.
NBC News | Evelyn Cheng
BEIJING — Chinese robot vacuum cleaner company Roborock on Monday launched a new model with folding arms that can clear socks and other obstructions — a feature powered by artificial intelligence.
This is the latest step that Roborock Robot Vacuum President Quan Gang expects: Robot vacuum cleaners will become as important as washing machines.
Quan told CNBC in late November that this could happen within three years, especially with the advent of artificial intelligence. “If the era of booming artificial intelligence really comes, I believe sweeping robots will be the first category to apply artificial intelligence,” he said in Mandarin.
Using artificial intelligence developed by the company, the Roborock Saros Z70 can detect and remove obstacles such as socks, small towels, paper towels and sandals weighing less than 300 grams (10.58 ounces), according to the company.
The Saros Z70 is set to be released in major global markets in the first half of this year, but Roborock has yet to announce pricing. The product was announced ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show, which kicks off in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Headquartered in Massachusetts love robots Introducing Roomba floor vacuum Robots in 2002Circular machines have evolved to include the ability to mop floors and automatically return to their charging base. Many companies, including several based in China, now sell robot vacuum cleaners.
Beijing-based Roborock began selling to the United States in 2018, Quan said, noting that sales in the country didn’t take off until 2023. Be sure to comply with local data privacy rules.
But Quan said the penetration rate of robot vacuum cleaners is still very low – just over 10% in developed countries and only single digits in developing countries. He said this is both a challenge and a potential for growth, and he expects the integration of artificial intelligence to drive growth.
edge and wired Late last year, both companies rated different Roborock models as the best robot vacuums. But the machines aren’t cheap.
“Roborock’s S8 MaxV Ultra ($1,799.99) is an excellent vacuum cleaner,” The Verge says, noting that it’s “the best model in the relatively new category of ‘hands-free’ robot vacuums that can do just about anything. You do everything: empty its vacuum cleaner.”
“Roborock invented the category with the S7 MaxV Ultra and has been steadily improving,” The Verge said.
WIRED selected Roborock’s Qrevo S, which sells for $800 on Amazon. The review highlights the Qrevo’s lidar-based navigation and artificial intelligence features, which allow the machine to differentiate between carpet and tile, vacuuming or mopping respectively.
Competition is fierce. Robot vacuum cleaners from two other companies are tied, CNET says Best of 2025the $900 Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo (which also has a self-emptying bin), and the $359 iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus.
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Shares of Shanghai-listed Roborock closed 2.6% higher on Friday after reports about the Saros Z70 and its robotic arm came to light. The stock is up 10.3% in 2024.
Operating income in the first three quarters of 2024 increased by 23.2% to 7 billion yuan (US$960 million), with a profit of 1.47 billion yuan. Roborock does not break down revenue by region.
Full name, Roborock Sweeping Robot was established shortly after its establishment in July 2014. The company realized the importance of artificial intelligence and set up a dedicated laboratory in Shanghai and a research institute in Shenzhen. Quan said there are about 30 researchers at each location, who only have to focus on technology, while the product development team has to meet deadlines and think about profits.
Quan said the next challenge is to expand the research staff to about 300 people, noting that it can be difficult to find qualified people.
According to CNBC’s calculations of public figures, the company spent 9.1% of its operating income on research and development in the first three quarters of 2024. That’s up from just over 7% a year over the past three years, the data shows.
Roborock also announced an update to its washing machines on Monday that allows clothes to be dried in the same machine.
—CNBC’s Sonia Heng contributed to this report.
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