Beijing-based robotic vacuum cleaner maker Roborock introduced a new model in January 2025 with a folding arm powered by artificial intelligence to remove obstacles.
CNBC | Evelyn Cheng
BEIJING – Chinese robot vacuum cleaner Roborock unveiled a new model Monday that features a folding arm to remove socks and other obstacles, a feature powered by artificial intelligence.
It’s the latest step toward what Roborock President Quan Gang expects will become inevitable: robot vacuum cleaners will become as necessary as washing machines.
This is something that could happen in as little as three years, especially with the advent of artificial intelligence, Quan told CNBC in an interview in late November. “If the era of AI prosperity has truly arrived, I am confident that robot vacuum cleaners will be the first category to apply AI,” he said in Chinese, translated by CNBC.
Using artificial intelligence developed by the company, Roborock Saros Z70 can detect and remove obstacles such as socks, small towels, napkins and sandals weighing less than 300 grams (10.58 ounces), according to the company.
The Saros Z70 is slated to launch in major global markets in the first half of the year, but Roborock has yet to announce pricing. The product presentation will take place on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show, which starts on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Since being based in Massachusetts iRobot launched the Roomba floor vacuum cleaner robot in 2002Circular machines have been improved to include floor cleaning and the ability to automatically return to the charging base. Many companies, including several Chinese ones, now sell robotic vacuum cleaners.
Beijing-headquartered Roborock began selling its robot vacuum cleaners in the United States in 2018, Quan said, noting that sales in the country won’t start picking up until 2023. Roborock also sells its robot vacuum cleaners in countries such as Germany, China and South Korea, and makes sure to follow local data privacy regulations, Quan said.
But penetration of robot vacuum cleaners remains low, at just over 10% in developed countries and single digits in developing countries, Quan said. He said this is both a challenge and a growth potential that he expects could get a boost from artificial intelligence integration.
Edge And Wired late last year, both named different Roborock models as the best robot vacuum cleaners available. But cars aren’t cheap.
“Roborock’s S8 MaxV Ultra ($1,799.99) is an exceptional vacuum,” The Verge said, noting that it’s “the best model in the relatively new category of hands-free robot vacuums, bots that do just about everything for you.” : Empty trash cans, fill mop bins, clean and dry mop pads.”
“Roborock invented this category with the S7 MaxV Ultra and is constantly improving on it,” The Verge reports.
Wired chose Roborock’s Qrevo S, which sells for $800 on Amazon. The review highlights Qrevo’s lidar-based navigation and artificial intelligence functionality, which allows the machine to differentiate between carpets and tiles for vacuuming or mopping respectively.
The competition is tough. CNET reported that two other companies’ robot vacuum cleaners are tied to best of 2025Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo for $900, which also has a self-cleaning trash can, and iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus for $359.
Artificial Intelligence Research Laboratory Support
Shanghai-listed Roborock shares closed 2.6% higher on Friday following reports of the Saros Z70 and its robotic arm. The stock is up 10.3% in 2024.
Operating revenue rose 23.2% in the first three quarters of 2024 to 7 billion yuan ($960 million) on profit of 1.47 billion yuan. Roborock does not break down revenue by region.
Quan said that soon after Roborock was founded in July 2014, the company realized the importance of artificial intelligence and opened a dedicated laboratory in Shanghai and a research institute in Shenzhen. According to Quan, each location has about 30 researchers who need to focus only on technology, as opposed to the product development team, which must meet deadlines and consider profitability.
The next challenge is to increase the number of researchers to about 300, Quan said, noting that finding qualified talent is difficult.
The company spent 9.1% of its operating revenue in the first three quarters of 2024 on research and development, according to CNBC’s tally. The data showed the rate has risen to just over 7% in each of the last three years.
On Monday, Roborock also announced an update to its washing machines that can dry clothes in one unit.
—CNBC’s Sonya Han contributed to this report.