With Legs and Spins, Now Even Climbing Stairs... Surprising Advances in Chinese Robot Vacuums [CES 2026]

More Advanced Chinese Robot Vacuums
Roborock Unveils Legged and Rotating Cleaner
From Crossing Thresholds and Gripper Arms to Robotic Legs
Diversifying into Pool and Lawn-Mowing Models

"There are no limits to robot vacuum cleaners."

Yonhap News Agency

Chinese robot vacuum cleaners are evolving. On the morning of January 7, the second day of the world's largest home appliance and IT exhibition, CES 2026, Chinese home appliance company Roborock demonstrated its new robot vacuum cleaner model, the "Saros Rover," at its booth inside the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, USA. Last year at CES, Roborock drew attention with its "Saros Z70," a robot equipped with a gripping arm. This year, the company captured the spotlight again by unveiling a robot vacuum cleaner with legs. The booth was packed with a large number of visitors eager to watch Roborock's demonstration.

Chinese home appliance company Roborock demonstrated its new robot vacuum cleaner model, "Saros Rover," on the second day of the world's largest home appliance and IT exhibition, CES 2026, on the morning of the 7th (local time) at its booth inside the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, USA. Photo by Jun Park.

On the second day of CES, January 7 (local time), a robot vacuum cleaner is climbing stairs at the Roborock booth in the Venetian Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Photo by Yonhap News

On site, the all-wheel-drive model of a lawn-mowing robot vacuum cleaner designed for the North American market also stood out. It could be seen nimbly crossing uneven grass and climbing slopes with ease.

This year's exhibition showcased Chinese robot vacuum cleaners with a wider range of advanced features. Another Chinese company, Dreame, unveiled its pool robot vacuum cleaner, the "Z1 Pro," demonstrating its ability to clean underwater. This robot vacuum cleaner is equipped with waterproof functionality, allowing it to be controlled while submerged. It can learn the layout of the pool and systematically clean the floor, walls, and waterline. The product is targeted at North American customers who own private swimming pools.

On the second day of the world's largest home appliance and IT exhibition, CES 2026, on the morning of the 7th (local time), the Chinese home appliance company Dreame showcased its pool robot vacuum cleaner, the 'Z1 Pro,' cleaning directly underwater at its booth inside the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). Photo by So-yeon Park.

There was also significant interest in the "CyberX," a model that climbs up and down stairs by combining with a specialized device. Other models included robot vacuum cleaners that could cross door thresholds, quickly avoid objects rolling on the floor, and use a gripping arm to pick up and organize items-demonstrating a wide variety of types.

Chinese home appliance company Roborock showcased its all-wheel-drive (AWD) model of a lawn-mowing robot vacuum designed for the North American market on the second day of the world's largest home appliance and IT exhibition, CES 2026, on the morning of the 7th (local time) at its booth inside the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, USA. Photo by Park Junyi.

At "IFA 2025" held in Berlin, Germany last August, Chinese companies such as Roborock, Ecovacs, and Mova competed by unveiling robot vacuum cleaners capable of crossing thresholds up to 8 centimeters high. In contrast, at this year's CES, most robot vacuum cleaner models could easily cross thresholds as a basic feature. Beyond robotic arms and threshold-crossing capabilities, these products have now evolved to include functions similar to human legs.

Throughout the CES exhibition hall, Chinese robot vacuum cleaner brands such as Ecovacs, Narwal, and Mova were on display. At its showcase, Ecovacs presented a blueprint for further expanding the application range of robotics by unveiling its next-generation multi-scenario robot solution. The company introduced its new product, the "Ozmo Roller," an automatic mopping robot vacuum cleaner, at this year's CES.