Beijing-based robot vacuum cleaner manufacturer Roborock unveiled a new model in January 2025 with an artificial intelligence-powered folding arm for removing obstacles.
CNBC | Evelyn Cheng
BEIJING – Chinese robot vacuum cleaner company Roborock on Monday unveiled a new model that comes with a folding arm for removing socks and other obstacles – a feature powered by artificial intelligence.
It’s the latest step toward what Roborock president Quan Gang expects will be inevitable: robot vacuum cleaners becoming as essential as washing machines.
That’s something that could happen within three years, especially with the rise of AI, Quan told CNBC in late November. “If the era of AI boom has really arrived, I am confident that robot vacuum cleaners will be the first category to adopt AI,” he said in Mandarin, as translated by CNBC.
Using AI the company developed, the Roborock Saros Z70 can detect and remove obstacles such as socks, small towels, tissues and sandals that weigh less than 300 grams, the company said.
The Saros Z70 will be released in key global markets in the first half of the year, but Roborock has not yet announced pricing. The product unveiling takes place ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show, which kicks off on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Established since Massachusetts iRobot launched its Roomba floor vacuum cleaner robots from 2002the circular machines have evolved with mopping and the ability to automatically return to the charging station. Many companies, including some based in China, now sell robot vacuum cleaners.
Beijing-based Roborock began selling to the U.S. in 2018, Quan said, noting that sales in the country didn’t take off until 2023. Roborock also sells its robot vacuum cleaners in countries such as Germany, China and South Korea, and makes sure you adhere to local data privacy rules, Quan said.
But the penetration rate of robot vacuum remains low: 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, which he expects could be boosted by the integration of artificial intelligence.
The edge And Wired late last year both called different Roborock models the best robot vacuum cleaner available. But the machines are not cheap.
“The S8 MaxV Ultra ($1,799.99) from Roborock is an exceptional vacuum cleaner,” said The Verge, noting that it is “the best model in the relatively new category of ‘hands-free’ robot vacuums, bots that do virtually everything for you : empty their vacuum cleaner.” waste bins, refill their mop tanks and keep their mop pads clean and dry.”
“Roborock invented this category with the S7 MaxV Ultra and has steadily improved it,” according to The Verge.
Wired selected Roborock’s Qrevo S, which sells for $800 on Amazon. The review highlighted the Qrevo’s lidar-based navigation and AI feature, which allows the machine to distinguish between carpets and tiles for vacuuming or mopping respectively.
The competition is fierce. CNET said the robot vacuums from two other companies were similar best of 2025the $900 Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo – which also has a self-emptying dustbin – and the $359 iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus.
Supporting an AI research laboratory
Shares of Shanghai-listed Roborock closed 2.6% higher on Friday after reports emerged about the Saros Z70 and its robotic arm. The stock rose 10.3% in 2024.
Operating revenue rose 23.2% to 7 billion yuan ($960 million) in the first three quarters of 2024, with a profit of 1.47 billion yuan. Roborock does not divide turnover by region.
Quan said that soon after the founding of Roborock in July 2014, the company recognized the importance of artificial intelligence and set up a special laboratory in Shanghai and a research institute in Shenzhen. Each location houses about 30 researchers, who only have to focus on technology, as opposed to the product development team that has to meet deadlines and keep profits in mind, Quan said.
The next challenge is to expand the number of researchers to about 300 people, Quan said, noting that it is difficult to find qualified talent.
According to CNBC calculations from public figures, the company spent 9.1% of its operating revenue on research and development in the first three quarters of 2024. That’s up from just over 7% in each of the past three years, the data showed.
Roborock also announced updates to its washing machines on Monday, which can dry clothes in the same unit.
— CNBC’s Sonia Heng contributed to this report.