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Roborock’s new robot vacuum packs a pair of cameras to avoid obstacles

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The world of robot vacuums just got a little more interesting. Roborock introduced a new addition to its S-Series lineup of vacuums, the Roborock S6 MaxV. This is the first vacuum in the series to feature a stereo camera that enables advanced obstacle avoidance technology called ReactiveAI. To do that, the Roborock S6 MaxV carries a Qualcomm APQ8053 processor chip enabling the onboard artificial intelligence. to recognize and avoid obstacles that might otherwise trap the robot.

According to Roborock CEO Richard Cheng, “The powerful image processing technology behind it has led us to work with Qualcomm Technologies for the first time, a journey we are delighted to begin as we continue to imagine the next generation of robotic vacuums to navigate today’s world.”

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Qualcomm’s onboard chip brings stereoscopic computation and long-lasting battery life to the vacuum. What does it all mean? Essentially, it’ll be able to recognize obstacles in its cleaning path and avoid them. A common complaint about robot vacuums is that precleaning is necessary before a robot vacuum actually begins its cleaning routine. This means having to put away clutter such as pet bowls, clothing on the floor, and many other things. That’s time wasted for people.

The Roborock S6 MaxV robot vacuum
The Roborock S6 MaxV robot vacuum Image used with permission by copyright holder

Beyond the Qualcomm silicon, the S6 MaxV is Roborock’s most powerful vacuum yet featuring 2500Pa of suction, which is a 25% increase over its predecessor. Plus, the S6 MaxV carries a 5,200mAh battery, making it capable of up to three hours of cleaning time in quiet mode. The Smart Top Up feature allows the S6 MaxV to charge up just enough to finish a particularly large job before returning for a full charge.

Roborock also updated the software on board. Multi-level maps are now enabled, allowing homes with multiple levels to use a single robot vacuum. Roborock’s popular room recognition feature splits each level of your home into separate rooms. Now, different levels of homes can have their own No-Go Zones and No-Mop zones as detected by the vacuum, extending to multiple floors. This feature has been in high demand for customers for years, and Roborock is finally bringing it to the Roborock S6 MaxV.

The Roborock S6 MaxV will be available in the United States at the end of the second quarter for $749.

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John Velasco
John Velasco
Former Digital Trends Contributor
John is the Smart Home editor at Digital Trends covering all of the latest tech in this emerging market. From uncovering some…
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