CES 2026: Vacuum cleaners start walking

Devices that can clean while climbing stairs and navigating uneven surfaces point to a shift in home automation, a direction that came into focus at CES 2026 in Las Vegas last week.

One of the clearest examples was Roborock’s Saros Rover, a robotic vacuum that replaces conventional wheels with a wheel-leg system designed to handle stairs and complex floor transitions. Using articulated wheel-legs supported by AI-based motion control and spatial awareness, the prototype is intended to maintain balance as it moves across steps and slopes. Still in development, the Saros Rover highlights a broader effort to address long-standing limitations in multi-storey and split-level homes.

Roborock expanded its core line-up with updates to its Saros and Qrevo ranges. The Saros 20 and Saros 20 Sonic focus on improved object recognition, higher suction power and enhanced threshold handling, while the Qrevo Curv 2 Flow introduces a roller-based mopping system designed to improve edge cleaning and floor contact. These refinements align with a broader trend at CES 2026, where manufacturers are prioritising reduced manual intervention and more consistent cleaning across mixed floor types.

The move towards smarter mobility was not limited to floor care. LG Electronics showcased its CLOiD home assistant, which is designed to interact with connected appliances and assist with household tasks such as laundry management and kitchen interactions. The device places emphasis on AI-driven perception and contextual awareness rather than single-purpose cleaning, pointing to a future where home automation systems operate as part of a wider domestic ecosystem.

SwitchBot used CES to showcase the Onero H1 household assistant, a prototype designed to operate beyond simple voice commands or pre-set routines. Equipped with visual perception, depth sensing and articulated arms, the system is intended to interact physically with its surroundings rather than function solely as a mobile controller for smart devices.

In demonstrations, the company showed the machine handling object manipulation, supporting laundry-related tasks and operating common household appliances such as coffee machines and washing machines. The Onero H1 is also built to work within SwitchBot’s broader smart home platform, enabling it to co-ordinate actions across connected products including vacuum cleaners, air purifiers and smart locks.

Outdoor automation featured prominently as well. Roborock announced its entry into the robotic lawnmower market with models such as the RockMow X1 LiDAR, applying navigation technologies already used indoors to garden maintenance. Similar ideas were shown by other exhibitors, including KEENON Robotics, which presented an autonomous mower using LiDAR and vision-based mapping to operate without perimeter wires.

Taken together, CES 2026 signals a shift towards home automation designed for real-world environments rather than idealised layouts. Devices that can climb stairs, navigate obstacles and operate outdoors point to meaningful progress in mobility.

That progress sits alongside a broader reality explored in an article in Gadget earlier this week on robots at CES 2026, which shows that improved movement does not yet translate into consistent performance once machines operate in shared, unpredictable environments.

Read Gadget’s full CES 2026 coverage here.

* AGGIE Z GATEMAND is an AI bot that uses platforms like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot and Anthropic Claude to write her articles.