The Rosie the Robot wannabe is being brought to CES by SwitchBot
The Saros Z70 Robot Vacuum Omnigrip Arm: A Real-Time Robot that Can Pick Up Your Dirty Laundry
The Verge got a sneak peek at the Saros Z70 in action ahead of its launch at CES 2025 and can confirm the arm works as advertised, although, as mentioned, it’s laboriously slow. It took about a minute to pick up and move each socks in the demo. It’s also limited to socks, tissues, small towels, and sandals that weigh under 300 grams. Roborock says more items will be added over time but hasn’t promised increased weight capability. No pricing has been released, but the company says the vacuum will ship by June 2025.
One interesting feature that will come to the Saros Z70 is an Over the Air upgrade, which does not involve the arm. Instead, it leverages the robot’s new navigation and obstacle recognition, called StarSight Autonomous System 2.0, to let you train the robot to recognize specific objects — say, a favorite teddy bear or your purse. According to Roborock, you’ll be able to use its app to see where the robot last spotted that item, which could be handy for locating lost things.
During the first run, the Z70 will detect and mark any objects it can lift. It then returns to deploy its arm, moving items to the area it has already cleaned and cleaning the areas those items were blocking. It is possible to programmed it to go out a third time, pick up the items once more, and put them away in a place on the map you have designated, such as a closet or basket.
This process will take a long time. Yes, it would be quicker (and quieter) to pick up the socks yourself (assuming you’re at home). It is also a robot that picks up socks. We are living in the future.
Source: This robovac has an arm that can pick up your dirty laundry
StarSight: Saros 10R, 10R and K20 Plus Pro with Adaptive AI and Laser Powered Occupant Avoidance
StarSight launched on the Qrevo Slim and uses 3D time-of-flight sensors, RGB cameras, and machine learning to navigate and identify obstacles. The AI-powered machine learning allows the Z70 to detect and navigate up to 108 preprogrammed objects, according to Roborock. It also uses a new laser-powered obstacle avoidance technology called VertiBeam, which Roborock says can more accurately clean around extended cables and irregularly shaped walls and furniture.
Saros Z70 has other great features, like a dual anti tangle system for the robot, and dual spinning mops that are automatically detaching at the base station when mopping isn’t needed.
The Saros Z70 is just under 8cm high, which should allow it to get under those low sofas, and has the AdaptLift chassis first seen on the Qrevo Curv. The robot is able to climb high room transitions and maneuver over carpets.
The flagship robot pairs with the new Multifunctional Dock to charge, auto-empty, refill and drain its water tanks, and keep the mops clean, while also introducing a 2.5 hour fast-charge feature.
The main differences between the two are in mopping and navigation tech. The Saros 10R has the same StarSight 2.0 navigation and obstacle recognition tech as the Z70, along with a mop and dock. However, it has slightly lower suction power (19,000Pa).
The 10 also comes with an improved version of Roborock’s Reactive AI Obstacle Avoidance (version 3.0) and gets the new VertiBeam cable avoidance tech. It has Roborock’s new DuoDivide anti-tangle roller brush, first seen on the Qrevo Curv, and pairs with the company’s new Ultra 2.0 Dock.
The vacuums will work with any Matter-enabled smart home platform when they are updated to support Matter 1.4. It looks like Apple is coming out with a new operating system, and we already have support for robot vacuums through Matter. Out of the box, the robots are compatible with more than one service. Hey Rocky voice assistant.
Switchbot plans to launch the K20 Plus Pro in May or June 2025 in custom bundled kits for all the various functions — bundling the vacuum with a circulating fan to form the K20 Plus Pro Air Flow Kit, or the K20 Plus Pro Combo with the SwitchBot air purifier to make up the K20 Plus Pro Omni Clean Kit, or combining all of the above for the SwitchBot K20. Plus. The pro omni ultimate kit is the one you’re looking for.
SwitchBot: Minimal Humanoid for a Smart, Low-Energy Home. The Case of a Flexible, Mobility-Aware Robot
In use, it will involve more human interaction — you’ll presumably need to remove the air purifier and replace it with the fan when you want to cool off — but it also feels like something people will use in their homes. I will be limited in my three-storey home due to the lack of stairs, but I will still be testing it out.
It seems smart and should keep costs down since no pricing has been announced. Rather than spending years and lots of money developing a humanoid robot to try and mimic human actions, adding mobility to existing devices feels more achievable.
A teaser image the company released shows a larger robot with the addition of a robotic arm, with an asterisk saying, “Mechanical arm is still under development.” You can also summon the robot with the combo base station, which adds a stick vac, and get a quick touch-up with the handheld vac. Maybe the robot can take over this chore, if that mechanical arm comes to fruition. It would become a lot closer to its Rosie ambitions with that.
The platform has various power ports, including USB-C, so, in theory, you can plug anything into it — although it has a weight limit of just under 18 pounds (8kg). Third-party devices with multiple power ports can be worked on with the FusionPlatform, according to SwitchBot.
The robot navigates via a map the lidar-equipped device creates, and SwitchBot claims it has “centimeter-level accuracy in avoiding obstacles and navigating tight spaces” and “moves steadily and effortlessly over everyday barriers.”
The robot can do all of these tasks autonomously using automations set up in the SwitchBot app — such as “purifying the air upon entry into a room,” or you can control it using the app or with voice commands through Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri Shortcuts.