It’s not uncommon to see booths at CES with folks zooming vacuums back and forth to showcase the latest in cleaning tech. Last year, we saw some interesting products like Tineco’s vacuum and mop combinations with self-cleaning, the Ecovacs robot vacuums for both indoors and out, and the showstopper, Eureka’s washing machine that has a robot vacuum built into the bottom. What are we seeing this year? There are unique innovations ranging from the integration of AI to even robotic arms.
The latest vacuum technology is designed to make your days easier. You can vacuum and even mop more quickly and efficiently than ever before, in some cases with little manual labour on your part. The goal is to help you maintain a cleaner home while giving you more time to do the things you enjoy. Some of the most exciting vacuum innovations at CES 2025 focus on just that.
Narwal Flow has intelligent AI
The Narwal Flow series of robot vacuums boasts intelligent cleaning technology, with features like FlowWash Mopping, EdgeReach, and Deep Carpet Boost that the company says doubles the pick-up rate compared to other models of its kind. It has dual water tanks to apply fresh water and extract dirty water in separate bins. Edge Reach ensures that the mop can clean right to the edges of your floor, while Deep Carpet Boost uses counter-directional movements with an adaptive brush cover to extract dirt that is embedded deep down into the fibres of your carpet.
The side brush is designed to direct hair to the floating roller, detangling while cleaning to prevent blockages. It comes equipped with two RGB cameras and a 10 TOPS AI chip for recognizing more than 200 different objects to avoid them and ensure precise navigation. It comes with an eight-in-one multifunction base that automates emptying, mop washing, drying, and even refilling the water tank so you can enjoy a seamless cleaning experience for up to 120 days.
Roborock Saros S70 has a mechanical arm
If you’re always telling your kids to pick their socks up from the floor, you might love the concept behind the Roborock Saros X70. It has an OmniGrip foldable five-axis mechanical arm that can extend to pick up objects from the floor (up to 300 grams in weight) and place them down in a specified location. Think not only socks but also items like cables, small toys, even slippers that might be littered about the floor. It works using dual cameras on the mechanical arm and the front of the vacuum along with an LED light that ensures accuracy when items are picked up.
This robot vacuum also has built-in AI technology, which includes recognition of 108 different objects and customizable AI recognition so you can define and label up to 50 more common items often found in your home. (The latter will be available through an over-the-air update). You can control the mechanical arm manually or even remotely using the Roborock app. It also has 3D sensing for precise mapping, an anti-tangle system, riser side brush, and 22,000Pa suction power.
Dreame’s new vacuum can rise to scale small thresholds
Dreame was showcasing its own concept vacuum with a robotic arm as well. But the showstopper for this brand beyond the “cool factor” of a robot vacuum with its own articulating arm is in the new Dreame X50 Ultra robot vacuum. It employs the ProLeap system that allows it to rise to navigate over thresholds as high as 6cm, like a small rise in a landing between floors. (I have one of these between my dining room and an entryway to the kitchen that other robot mops have been unable to clear.) This also means it can navigate over or around small objects on the floor. VersaLift Navigation includes advanced DToF LiDAR for intelligently navigating under low furniture as well.
The vacuum has a 360° scanning sensor for intelligent mapping of your home. There’s a detangling brush and Dual Flex Arm technology to clean right to the edges of a room. With Matter support, you can also integrate it with your smart home.
Eureka J15 Max Ultra can detect transparent liquids & detangle hair
What makes this robot vacuum stand out is the transparent liquid stain detection technology and IntelliView AI 2.0, which can detect wet messes and adjust the clean accordingly. It works using an advanced infrared vision system and FHD vision sensor that picks up HD images of objects and their surface structures, determining which are not affected by ambient light or lighting variations. The images are processed using AI algorithms that detect the subtle differences in reflections and texture to determine what’s liquid and what isn’t.
The vacuum can also detect pet waste and avoid it. Plus, you can use the built-in cameras to remotely keep an eye on your pets. One of the neatest features is the anti-tangle system called FlexiRazor that can not only prevent hair from tangling around the brush, but also cuts it up inside and suck the smaller pieces of hair into the main bin so you don’t need to de-tangle manually. There’s also an extendable side brush and mop to get into tight corners and ObstaCross technology for navigating over thresholds as high as 1.18 inches. It can glide smoothly over thresholds, has a powerful 22,000 Pa suction system, and comes with a self-cleaning base station.
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni has a mop roller that constantly self-washes
There has been an influx of vacuum and mop combination units with self-cleaning to help simplify the process of after-job clean-up. While there’s still some manual labour involved, it’s a far cry from emptying and cleaning a big bucket of water and washing an upright mop. The Ecovavs Deebot X8 Pro Omni, developed in collaboration with Tineco, takes this to another level with an Ozmo Roller that continuously self-washes while you mop.
This makes clean up easier and ensures you aren’t bringing dirt from one floor of the home or spot on the floor to another. The mop roller also offers increased pressure at 4,000 Pa and rotation speed at 200 rpm to tackle tough stains. For dry vacuuming, you get 18,000Pa suction power and an anti-tangle brush. Additional features you’ll find in this robot vacuum and mop include advancements in LiDAR navigation and AI object recognition, along with a side brush that better reaches in corners of walls and baseboards.
Scosche ScoVac High-Power Mini-Vacuum/Duster is a handy portable vacuum
Looking for something to clean the car, blinds, or mattress? This isn’t a robot vacuum, per se, but it’s an innovative entry in the vacuum space that’s worth mentioning. Many cordless stick vacuums have detachable heads to convert to handheld units as well. But this adorable mini vacuum and duster is great to keep in your trunk or bedroom closet for quick clean up jobs. It weighs just 0.85 lbs. yet offers 12,000Pa suction to pick up dirt and debris.
The quiet vacuum runs on a rechargeable battery that lasts about 32 minutes in Eco Mode and 16 minutes in Turbo mode. So, you can get those crumbs out of the backseat before the next road trip or give your mattress a pass before putting clean sheets back on. This handheld vacuum is also ideal for boats and RVs. You can even use it to blow dust from your laptop keyboard or other delicate electronics, inflate airbeds, and more. It comes with eight attachments, a pair of washable HEPA filters, and a 20W 12V USB-C car charger and cable for using it on the go. Everything packs up neatly in the included zippered carrying case.
Robot vacuums are getting smarter, more powerful, and save you more time
Robot vacuums have been around for quite some time. But innovation in the category is moving at a rapid pace. Not only do many models now also incorporate wet mopping along with dry vacuuming, they also come with self-emptying docks. Self-cleaning and drying technology is one of the latest trends, further simplifying the cleaning process. With the latest AI for precise navigation and object detection, along with interesting concepts like robotic arms, the robot vacuums continue to get more exciting.
