Latest news with #SarosZ70
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
I tried a robot vacuum with a mechanical arm
Robot vacuums are developing new features very quickly. A year ago, self-scrubbing docks that emptied dirty water into an on-board tank to keep mop pads clean and dry were a fresh innovation. Then, the robots developed wheels and legs that let them hop over tricky room transitions. Now Roborock is first to market with the next big trick; a robot with a full mechanical arm folded into its body, designed to physically pick up and relocate objects in its way. The idea seems like pure science fiction. Imagine that, while you're out of the house, a robot emerges to vacuum and mop. It gets in all the nooks and crannies and, if you've left any small objects on the floor, it picks them up. You'll find them neatly placed where they're supposed to go — or stowed in the robot's own little lost-and-found basket — when you get home. It's an intriguing glimpse of the future, but Roborock's $4000 Saros Z70 can't make it a reality quite yet. The company says the robot can only pick up a very few objects, including socks, cloths, tissues and sandals. And, as I found out, it will only do that in very specific scenarios. The bot comes with a sleek and futuristic-looking dock, plus a gaudy cardboard bin covered with QR codes into which it can deposit objects. After setting it up and letting it map my house (which it did quickly thanks to its cameras and sensors), I immediately enacted a simple test I thought would be a slam dunk for the robot arm. I decluttered the kids' bedroom and placed a single sock in the middle of the floor, then asked the robot to come and vacuum. It began cleaning in a grid and clearly saw the sock, as it deviated from its pattern to carefully clean around it. Then it finished the job and returned to its dock. Strike one, the sock was still on the floor. Upon checking the app, it seems the robot detected the sock as a generic obstacle. My fault, the sock wasn't socky enough. I chose an unmistakable specimen for the second test; white and well-worn, with a green toe. The very visual definition of a sock. The robot avoided it completely. Strike two. I decided to change tack and replace the sock with a kitchen cloth. The robot ran over it, dragging it around the room. Strike three.
The Age
a day ago
- The Age
I tried a robot vacuum with a mechanical arm
Robot vacuums are developing new features very quickly. A year ago, self-scrubbing docks that emptied dirty water into an on-board tank to keep mop pads clean and dry were a fresh innovation. Then, the robots developed wheels and legs that let them hop over tricky room transitions. Now Roborock is first to market with the next big trick; a robot with a full mechanical arm folded into its body, designed to physically pick up and relocate objects in its way. The idea seems like pure science fiction. Imagine that, while you're out of the house, a robot emerges to vacuum and mop. It gets in all the nooks and crannies and, if you've left any small objects on the floor, it picks them up. You'll find them neatly placed where they're supposed to go — or stowed in the robot's own little lost-and-found basket — when you get home. It's an intriguing glimpse of the future, but Roborock's $4000 Saros Z70 can't make it a reality quite yet. The company says the robot can only pick up a very few objects, including socks, cloths, tissues and sandals. And, as I found out, it will only do that in very specific scenarios. The bot comes with a sleek and futuristic-looking dock, plus a gaudy cardboard bin covered with QR codes into which it can deposit objects. After setting it up and letting it map my house (which it did quickly thanks to its cameras and sensors), I immediately enacted a simple test I thought would be a slam dunk for the robot arm. I decluttered the kids' bedroom and placed a single sock in the middle of the floor, then asked the robot to come and vacuum. It began cleaning in a grid and clearly saw the sock, as it deviated from its pattern to carefully clean around it. Then it finished the job and returned to its dock. Strike one, the sock was still on the floor. Upon checking the app, it seems the robot detected the sock as a generic obstacle. My fault, the sock wasn't socky enough. I chose an unmistakable specimen for the second test; white and well-worn, with a green toe. The very visual definition of a sock. The robot avoided it completely. Strike two. I decided to change tack and replace the sock with a kitchen cloth. The robot ran over it, dragging it around the room. Strike three.
Digital Trends
04-06-2025
- Business
- Digital Trends
Roborock Saros Z70 vs Roborock Saros 10R: which robot vacuum is best?
The Roborock Saros Z70 is the latest robot vacuum from the company, offering not just impressive vacuuming and mopping skills, but also a robotic arm. This can pick up items left on your floor, allowing it to provide you with a more comprehensive clean. However, our Roborock Saros Z70 review found it to be somewhat underwhelming. Meanwhile, the older Roborock Saros 10R offers many of the same features as the Z70 — minus the wild price tag and robotic arm. So, which one makes a better robot vacuum for your home? The Roborock Saros Z70 or Roborock Saros 10R? Is the robotic arm worth the extra money, or can you save several hundred bucks by opting for the Saros 10R? Here's a closer look at these two robot vacuums to help you decide which one to buy. Recommended Videos Pricing and design The Roborock Saros Z70 carries the eye-watering price of $2,600, though it can often be found on sale for much less. Its size is fairly standard for robot vacuums, with a rectangular base and circular robot. There are a few unique accents throughout the dock and the robot, giving it a more premium appearance than most competitors. Of course, there's also the robotic arm. This is typically stowed away in a small chamber on top of the robot. Only when an object is detected will it deploy. The Saros 10R looks very similar to the Z70, though it's missing some of the accents and fancy flourishes of the Z70. It still looks fantastic, however, and much of the designs are shared across the two products. The 10R is also much more affordable at $1,600, though it's still one of the most expensive robots on the market. Winner: Roborock Saros 10R Vacuuming Vacuuming performance is quite similar between these two devices. The Saros Z70 has the better suction numbers at 22,000 Pa, but the 10R is no slouch at 20,000 Pa. Both can also swing out their side brush to reach tight corners, can automatically detach their mopping pads to ensure your carpets stay dry, and use the same Starsight Autonomous System 2.0 for navigation. In testing, both were more than capable of dealing with daily messes, and they left behind nice tidy patterns that give your home a 'just cleaned' feeling. Obstacle avoidance was excellent for both robots, and the ability to lift their chassis to cross thresholds or deal with different types of environments made them versatile companions for all sorts of carpet. Both also feature an anti-tangle system that never once needed any manual intervention, as hair and long fibers were deftly removed and suctioned away into its dustbin. In short — both are excellent vacuums. The Saros Z70 might have the upper hand when it comes to total suction, but real-world testing revealed two robots that are just about evenly matched. Winner: Tie Mopping It's a similar story for mopping. Roborock has equipped these two devices with essentially the same mopping systems. They feature two spinning mopping pads, one of which can swing outward to clean near baseboards. Both robots will lift their mops when traveling on carpet and give themselves a self-cleaning when back at the docking station. This includes a hot water rinse followed by an air dry — which goes a long way towards eliminating the mold and mildew smell found on lesser robots. Testing once again found them to be perfectly matched for daily cleaning chores. Spills and stains were easily removed by the Z70 and 10R, and their ability to leave behind their mops when vacuuming is another huge win. Winner: Tie Additional features Most additional features are shared by the Saros Z70 and Saros 10R. This includes: Intelligent dirt detection Auto detergent dispensing Auto tank refilling Auto dust emptying Auto brush lifting Adaptive route algorithm App support Voice assistant The big difference, of course, is the robotic arm of the Saros Z70. But based on our testing, it's not quite ready for the spotlight. It will almost never detect objects it can pick up when they're placed on carpet, relegating it to only being useful on hard floors. Even then, the arm has a difficult time gripping certain objects, and it takes a very long time to operate. A weight restriction of 300 grams limits what it can handle, and it's not uncommon for it to take multiple attempts to pick up and properly move an object to the designated spot in your house. It's a great first step — but like any innovative new technology, it still needs some time in the oven. Winner: Tie Verdict Despite lending a robotic arm to your home, the Roborock Saros Z70 isn't the best fit for most shoppers. Instead, consider picking up the Roborock Saros 10R. It packs in nearly all the same features — minus the arm — and it's much more affordable. Capable of providing you with a superior floor cleaning experience, it's one of the best robot vacuums on the market. Be sure to also compare the Saros 10R and Saros 10, and they're both great products but they go about mopping in entirely different ways.
Android Authority
04-06-2025
- Business
- Android Authority
Roborock's $2,600 robot vacuum with a mechanical arm is an incredible flex with a weird price tag
Roborock Saros Z70 The Roborock Saros Z70 is the company's best robot vacuum to date, but only in a vacuum (pun intended). It cleans as well as anything we've seen, navigates very well, and its object detection is second to none. But it also costs $1,000 more than the Saros 10R, which already does all of that to the same standard, and the innovative-yet-deeply-flawed OmniGrip robot arm doesn't offer anywhere near enough value to cover the huge price hike. Now that I finally have the Roborock Saros Z70 in-house for testing, I can finally say, with authority, that the first commercially available robot vacuum cleaner with a robot arm is super cool… but I don't think cool is enough. It's been several months since I first got to see the Saros Z70 on display as one of the obvious highlights of CES 2025, and it's lost none of that initial wow factor. At first, it looks like any other high-end Roborock robot vacuum, but then the top panel retracts, the robotic arm pops out, and it gets to work picking up your mess. But is that the only trick up its sleeve, and is it really worth the eye-melting $2,600 asking price? Editor's note: Roborock kindly sent over two test units, one to me, and one to my colleague Oliver Cragg. We've both been using the units in our respective homes over the past few weeks to really give this expensive bot the gruelling testing it deserves. This review contains our combined thoughts on the Saros Z70 and its innovative new tech. It's a robot vacuum… Jonathan Feist / Android Authority As much as I want to talk about it, let's get the regular functionality out of the way first. Here's the bottom line: the Roborock Saros Z70 is the best robot vacuum that Roborock has released to date* (I'll get back to that asterisk, Thunderbolts* style). As a robot vacuum and mop machine, the Saros Z70 is reliable, efficient, and does a great job cleaning hard floors, carpets, and rugs. At just 3.14-inches tall, the Saros Z70 is one of the slimmer bots around, making it ideal for cleaning under low furniture. Jonathan Feist / Android Authority That flexibility is improved by the lack of a LiDAR navigation turret that typically sticks out the top of robot vacs, as instead the Saros Z70 relies on its front and rear StarSight Autonomous System 2.0 navigation cameras for mapping, navigation, and obstacle avoidance. This system is built from RGB, 3D ToF, and infrared sensors and is backed by AI-driven object detection. This, combined with the side-mounted VertiBeam Lateral Obstacle Avoidance detection (translation: it looks up and down to avoid impacts under furniture), makes for extremely safe and reliable navigation, whether it's a rogue child's toy, a stray charging cable, or something much larger. Speaking of height, not only can the Saros Z70 lift and lower its brushes, mops, and rollers, but it can lift the entire chassis as well, allowing it to mount high thresholds easily (up to 1.57-inch), and more effectively clean specific surfaces such as thick carpets or rugs. Jonathan Feist / Android Authority For mopping, the Z70 is also equipped with dual circular mop pads, as opposed to the VibraRise single mop of the Saros 10. I prefer the dual pad models from Roborock, as they get fewer tangles and leave a nicer sheen. The FlexiArm system also means the right mop pad will kick out to the side when skirting the edges of a room, so you get a nice clean right up to the edge. This same tech powers the front brush, which flicks dirt into the path of the main vacuum rollers. The bot can also detach the mop heads and leave them in the base station when it knows it's going on a vacuum-only mission. During those excursions, it benefits from up to 22,000Pa of suction pressure; more than enough to collect nearly any dry debris from your deepest carpets. Jonathan Feist / Android Authority And before we get to the main event, a shoutout to the Multifunctional Dock 4.0. You know, the base station. Equipped with large water canisters, an automatically dispensing detergent canister (cleaning solution not supplied, but I recommend getting it as it eliminates streaky floors), and a large vacuum bag, the base station houses, cleans, and charges the Saros Z70. It includes heated mop washing up to an impressive 80 degrees Celsius, heated air drying, and it holds the mop heads when they have been removed for vacuum-only runs. As I said, this is the best robot vacuum cleaner Roborock has ever made, which means it's already a strong contender for the best robot vacuum cleaner you can buy. But here's the catch: it's identical to the Roborock Saros 10R. This is the best robot vacuum cleaner Roborock has ever made, but that claim comes with a huge caveat. Everything I've said and praised about this bot, and everything I said in my top marks Saros 10R review, applies here (the Z70 reportedly has slightly smaller onboard dirt and water storage, but I didn't notice much difference). But that robot vac is $1,599.99, at the time of writing, subject to tariff issues. Meanwhile, the Saros Z70 is a whole $1,000 more expensive, and for that spare change, you could buy a very good second robot vacuum cleaner, a new flagship phone, or a base model MacBook Air M4. So, let's talk about the one thing that is different… …with a robotic arm! Jonathan Feist / Android Authority While we've started to see concept bots with mechanical appendages appear in its wake, Roborock's Saros Z70 is the first robot vacuum to hit the US market that packs a robotic arm. Let's go over how it works first. For the unfamiliar, the fancily named OmniGrip is a 5-axis mechanical arm that can grasp a selected number of small items. There are two tilting joints on the arm, similar to a tractor arm. This allows the arm to extend and bend to nearly any angle and position. The entire arm can spin, but generally operates facing straight ahead. Next, the head of the arm has two symmetrical pincers, this is the clamp for items. Finally, the head can rotate, allowing you to clamp things from multiple angles to get the best grasp. Roborock's Saros Z70 is the first robot vacuum to hit the US market that packs a robotic arm. Object recognition and pickup can be handled autonomously by the bot itself via its front-facing camera and a small camera underneath the arm's pincers, but you can also manually drive the bot and control the arm with touchscreen controls in the Roborock app. You can even view the robot's surroundings remotely through these cameras as a kind of roaming, articulating smart home security camera, if you so desire. Regardless of how you use it, the arm rests inside the Saros Z70's main body when not in use and is covered by a retracting flap. Roborock has also thought through safety measures, as there's an emergency stop button on the top of the robot, a child lock function, and you can fully disable the entire arm in the app. Jonathan Feist / Android Authority Picking up items would be useless on its own; where they are placed back down is what matters. As part of the robot arm strategy, the app now reports detected objects in your space and will highlight them on the in-app map. The app also lets you specify two zones: one for footwear storage and a container for other loose objects. Using AI and its cameras, the bot can detect items such as socks, cloths, paper balls, and some footwear, and categorize them as either clothing or trash. Roborock includes a trash bin accessory that uses a QR code identification, and can be the drop spot for discarded items, or you can set your own. So in theory, with this setup all arranged, the robot can perform a number of functions in combination with the arm: Follow-up cleaning — The robot will move items it recognizes autonomously and lift them to clean underneath. Automatic sorting — The robot will autonomously move footwear to the storage zone and deposit trash/other lighter items into the container. Manual sorting — The Roborock app will show the location of recognized objects, at which point you can manually tell the robot to go pick them up as above. Remote control — You can manually control the arm to pick up items. The inclusion of the robotic arm is undeniably cool, and it'll absolutely wow anyone you show it to. As the robot vacuum industry produced better and better obstacle avoidance, less and less of our floors were being cleaned, so a method of moving those objects was the next logical step. But that's the real question: does the OmniGrip arm help the Saros Z70 actually do what it's supposed to do — clean your floors — to the tune of a $1,000 price hike? The short answer is no, and there are a few big reasons why, some of which are fundamental, likely unsolvable issues, and others that are entirely the fault of this being a first-generation product. Jonathan Feist / Android Authority One big limitation is the weight of objects that the Saros Z70 can lift, as it caps at a maximum of 300g. This is absolutely fine for light items like socks and paper, but shoes — one of the main obstacles of any household — are extremely hit-and-miss. In fairness to Roborock, it only emphasizes sandals, which typically do weigh under the limit, but that puts a low bar on what the bot can pick up. In my testing, the robot arm was actually able to lift a shoe that weighed more than 300g. Because of the weight, however, the bot chose to drive very slowly, would not navigate a threshold, and eventually put the shoe back on the floor, unable to do much else with it. However, despite being officially supported, sandals are the same story, so this isn't a weight issue. I've only ever seen the bot pick up the same sandal, do a circle, and put it back down — not once has it taken a sandal or any other footwear to the designated drop-off location. It's the same story for non-footwear. I've seen the arm move objects temporarily to clean the floor, but I've never actually seen the bot move a piece of crumpled paper or a sock into the companion container on its own. I've seen it get very close a few times, but it'll always end up putting the item beside the box, not in it. Cleaning the floor is my top priority, so at least I'm getting a better clean, but tidying is a complete non-starter. Jonathan Feist / Android Authority Another minor issue is that the bot stores objects' location for future cleaning, rather than doing it on its usual cleaning run. I want the bot to immediately identify objects and move them out of the way immediately, not on a future run. I've successfully forced the Saros Z70 to clear a number of objects, but a lot of these instances were because I put obstacles in the way for testing purposes, rather than it genuinely helping to tidy my space on its own. I have limited space; I can't afford to leave junk on the floor while I wait for it to do its job properly. Roborock has promised that further updates are due to improve performance for the OminGrip, and that further objects will be added to the recognition system. Hopefully, the lack of polish that inevitably comes with any first-gen tech will be resolved in time, but that's nowhere near guaranteed, and you shouldn't buy a product now based on a promise that it'll be better in the future, especially not at this price. Roborock Saros Z70 review verdict: Is it worth $2,700? Jonathan Feist / Android Authority So about that asterisk. The Saros Z70 is a fantastic robot vacuum and Roborock's best to date *however, the only difference between it and the $1,000 cheaper Saros 10R is the robotic arm that, well… doesn't really work right now. Since I first set the Saros Z70 loose in my home, it has undergone many firmware updates, and has already vastly improved its capabilities, but it still can't do most of the tasks Roborock says it can do. I know it can do a lot more, and I'm hopeful it will with future software updates, but as it operates today, it is too rich for my wallet, and I imagine that'll be the case for the vast majority of buyers. The Roborock Saros Z70 has the best party trick of any robot vacuum, but its innovative robot arm isn't worth the price of admission until it improves. The Roborock Saros Z70 is fun, has been a literal party trick I've enjoyed showing guests, and I'll give praise to Roborock for both being first and attempting something innovative in public rather than behind closed R&D doors. But that doesn't mean you should buy it unless you've got money to burn and don't mind being a guinea pig for early adopter tech. Roborock Saros Z70 Robotic arm! • Next-gen navigation • AI-powered object detection • Big battery MSRP: $2,599.00 It'll tidy your space before cleaning it Equipped with a robotic arm, the Roborock Saros Z70 is a next-gen robot vacuum with AI-powered navigation and obstacle avoidance, much larger battery, and the ability to put toys in the toy box, socks in the hamper, and trash in the bin. See price at Amazon Positives Impressive navigation Impressive navigation Robust object detection Robust object detection Cleans really well Cleans really well Innovative robotic arm Cons Huge limitations on robot arm functionality Huge limitations on robot arm functionality Massive price tag
Digital Trends
27-05-2025
- General
- Digital Trends
How to use the robotic arm of the Roborock Saros Z70
While the Roborock Saros Z70 didn't exactly live up to the hype, there's no denying its robotic arm is still a cool piece of technology. Capable of picking up small objects in its path, moving them to a new location, then continuing its cleaning process, the Saros Z70 and its robotic arm might be the coolest feature we've ever seen in a robot vacuum. But how exactly does it work? And what are the robotic arm's limitations? Recommended Videos Here's a closer look at how to use the robotic arm of the Roborock Saros Z70 and ways you can improve its performance. Limitations of the Roborock Saros Z70's robotic arm Before you send this robot vacuum out to pick up all the objects littering your floor, it's important to know its limitations. It's also important to note that Roborock is constantly updating the Saros Z70 software — meaning new and improved functionality is always around the corner. Here are the current limitations that will dictate how well your robotic arm performs. The robot has difficulty recognizing objects on carpet The robot will not cross thresholds if the arm has hold of an object The robotic arm is known to move slowly while in operation The arm is limited to objects 300 grams or less Some low-lying objects may not be detected Reflective objects are difficult for the robot to detect Some of these are restrictions based on the hardware and cannot be improved. Others might be improved in the coming months via software updates. Tips and tricks for using the Saros Z70's robotic arm The Saros Z70's arm is deactivated by default. You can enable it in the Robotic Arm Settings menu, which requires you to be near the robot and make a few manual inputs. Once that's done, check out the other options in the Robotic Arm Settings menu. This includes the following: Follow-Up Cleaning Automatic Sorting Manual Sorting Remote Control to Pick Up We'd recommend enabling Follow-Up Cleaning and Automatic Sorting, then tinkering with additional options from there. You can also use the Remote Control to Pick Up feature, which allows you to manually navigate the robot toward an object, then start the 'pick up' process. Beyond that, much of the robotic arm's capabilities are automated. When it stumbles upon an item it can pick up, it'll do so automatically and return it to a designated spot in your home. However, there are a few things you can do to improve its performance. Don't leave objects on carpet. The Saros Z70 has difficulty finding objects are carpet, and during our testing, it only managed to pick up objects left on hard floors. The Saros Z70 has difficulty finding objects are carpet, and during our testing, it only managed to pick up objects left on hard floors. Be patient. It's not uncommon for the robotic arm to grab, then subsequently drop an object. The arm is far from perfect, so expect it to take a few attempts (and several minutes) to properly pick up various objects. It's not uncommon for the robotic arm to grab, then subsequently drop an object. The arm is far from perfect, so expect it to take a few attempts (and several minutes) to properly pick up various objects. Place the storage box in an accessible location. Leave three sides open to the robot. That is, don't place it in a corner, and if you do put it near a wall, make sure the robot has enough space to reach all the other edges. Leave three sides open to the robot. That is, don't place it in a corner, and if you do put it near a wall, make sure the robot has enough space to reach all the other edges. Expect the best results for socks, small towels, papers, and slippers. Objects beyond this may or may not be recognized by the robot. Also, objects over 300 grams exceed the arm's weight limit. This means you should clean up heavy obstacles and items beyond the few above. Doing so will improve the odds of your entire home being cleaned. Objects beyond this may or may not be recognized by the robot. Also, objects over 300 grams exceed the arm's weight limit. This means you should clean up heavy obstacles and items beyond the few above. Doing so will improve the odds of your entire home being cleaned. Try manual operation. Using the Remote Control to Pick Up option, you can take manual control of the arm. You can try using this to pick up difficult objects, and it's also a fun way to show off the robot to guests.
