The Saros Z70 robot hoover from Roborock leaves no sock untidied. — Photo: Andrej Sokolow/dpa
LAS VEGAS: A new trend is sweeping its way through robot hoovers: robotic arms that can grab things.
At the CES tech trade fair in Las Vegas (on until January 10), manufacturers Roborock and Dreame are showcasing devices that can clear objects out of the way instead of just moving around them.
Humans worried about armies of one-armed robots taking over need not fear, however. Roborock's new smart hoover only has enough muscle to lift objects weighing up to 300 grams.
The Saros Z70 model, now ready for its market launch, uses a narrow robotic arm with a gripper at the tip to tidy up and move things out of the way that are blocking it from cleaning.
At CES, Roborock showed how the arm can pick up socks and place them in a basket. The company said it was equally suited to light fabrics and sandals left on the ground and needing tidying.
Users can specify which objects the appliance is allowed to pick up – and where they should be placed. The gripper arm has its own camera to help it see. Roborock did not initially name a price for the Saros Z70.
Just a few metres away at CES, rival manufacturer Dreame showed off its own prototype of a robot vacuum with a robotic arm, this one slightly more powerful and able to lift objects weighing up to 500 grams.
Various brushes can also be attached to the arm. This allows the robot hoover to reach places where the main body wouldn't normally fit. Dreame has not yet given a date for the market launch – but it could be ready by the end of the year. – dpa
