Robot Vacuum Race Heats Up: Companies Demo Stair-climbing Models
LAS VEGAS – โฃ The future of robotic vacuum cleaners took a notable step forward at a recent tech showcase,โ as multiple companies demonstrated prototypes capable of autonomously navigating stairs.Dreame, Eufy, and Mova all presentedโ solutions to a longstanding challenge in robotic cleaning, potentially expanding the reach of these devices to entire homes.
Dreame’s robot completed a stair climb and descent in approximately 2.5 minutes, while Eufy’s MarsWalkerโ achieved the task in just 1 minute and 45 seconds. Mova’s Zeus 60, โutilizing a โunique scissor-lift and slidingโฃ motion, took six minutes for the sameโฃ maneuver, though a Mova engineer stated the robotโ can operate faster for safety reasons.
The Mova Zeus 60 resembles a 1980sโข VCR or vinyl turntable inโ appearance. While slower than competitors on a โขstandard staircase, Mova claims its design can handle spiral โฃstaircases, โฃa capability not yet demonstrated publicly.”It took an agonizing six minutes to complete,” noted one observer of the Mova demonstration.
All โคthree companies plan to release their stair-climbing robots within the next year, โคbut pricing remains undisclosed. representatives from โคeach companyโ indicated pricing decisions may be contingent on competitor strategies.
The progress marks a major advancementโค beyond previous concepts like the โAscender, which aimedโ to both climb and clean stairs but โremains unreleased. While none of the current prototypes address stair cleaning specifically, the ability to navigate stairs represents a crucial step toward fully automated homeโ cleaning.
ยฉ WES DAVIS / GISMODO