Roborock Saros Z70, review: we used the first robot vacuum cleaner that collects objects from the ground – the right choice

On the last CES of Las Vegas had been Among the shows of the showis now available for purchase. The purchase price is very high but the SEROS Z70 by Roborock It anticipates an era in which domestic robots will become increasingly useful and autonomous, at least until we see the humanoid stores in the shops. Why? Why His mechanical arm It looks like a small engineering miracle applied to objects in itself not too exciting such as vacuum cleaner. A solution that should allow paper on paper to solve one of the typical problems of lava-aspira robots: disorder at home, which forces long objects to remove objects before the robot can do its job. Is this really the case with this Roborock or the mechanical arm is little more than a marketing gimmick?

After having tested it for a couple of weeks, we can say that the answer is in the middle. The mechanical arm Omnigrip At five axes it is a remarkable piece of engineering. The idea is that the robot, using its front camera, recognize certain objects, collects them and moves them to a default area of ​​the house, a generic area identified on the Roborock app or a particular basket inserted in the robot package by the same Chinese company. Currently, however, his repertoire is limited to three categories: fabrics (like socks), agglomerate (paper balls) and some types of shoes, mainly slippers or sandals. In our tests, the operation proved inconstantly: sometimes the Saros Z70 has correctly identified a sock, it positioned itself, extended the arm and deposited it in the designated area. Other times, while recognizing the abandoned object on the ground, he reported that he could not collect it. In other cases he let him fall halfway (and he does not come back to recover it). With slippers and shoes, the success was even rarer.
Much depends on the position of the object: if it is too close to a wall, to another object or is not properly oriented, the robot renounces. If desired, there is also manual control via app, which offers a view from the camera on the arm pliers. But is it little of a game (do you know the cabines with mini cranes who have to fish a plush?). In addition, the robot does not collect objects on the rugs and cannot reach spaces under low furniture (if it detects an obstacle within 45 cm above itself, the arm does not activate).

In addition, that of the mechanical arm is an innovation that has entailed obvious compromises in the design of the robot. To make room for the mechanism, Roborock had to reduce the internal tank for dust to just 180 ml, one of the youngest among the recent robots. The brushes system is also different from that of other top models such as The « brother » will be 10r that we have recently tried. These compromises are reflected on suction performance. Despite a declared power of 22,000 PA, the aspiration was a little lower than the average: especially on the rugs and when it is struggling with residual minutes, some problems can be seen.

The strengths

Where instead the Saros Z70 excels is in washing. Its two rotating clothes, which are raised by 22 mm on the rugs and can be left at the base if you just want to aspire, have proven to be extremely effective. One of the clothes extends sideways to better clean the edges.
There multifunction base It is equally valid: emptying the powder, washes the clothes with hot water at 80 ° C, dries them with hot air and automatically doses the detergent.
Also the Starsight 2.0 navigation systemwhich combines 3d Tof sensors and cameras, it works very well. The absence of the classic Lidar turret allows the robot to have a low profile (about 8 cm), slipping under several furniture where other less slim models do not arrive. The circumvention of obstacles is almost impeccable.

Very rich app

A separate chapter deserves the Roborock application, which is confirmed one of the best on the market for completeness and intuitiveness. Through the app it is possible to customize every detail of the cleaning process: from the aspiration power to the amount of water to use, room per room. Complex routines can be created, define prohibited or « no-mop » areas, and manage the behavior of the robot on rugs (avoid them, suck them, wash them).
For those who do not want to get lost among the countless options, the Smart Plan 2.0 mode Allows the robot to learn habits and optimize paths independently. The app, as mentioned, also gives full control over the mechanical arm, with a remotely piloted mode that uses the view of the camera on the caliper for manual operations. In addition, the robot can be used in « remote surveillance » mode, useful for example to take a look at pets when we are not at home.

Conclusion and prices

By putting the sums, the Saros Z70 is a fascinating product That, when it uncomplaimed her hurry arm, tears a sincere smile of admiration. But it is, you will have understood it, overall still immature: the future of domestic robotics is a look, but in its current form the practical utility is limited and not very consistent. To have this experimental function, we give up on suction performance and the ability of the container that other models, even by Roborock herself, offer at a lower price.
The list price for Italy is 1,799 euros.
A figure that positions the Saros Z70 more as a product for technology enthusiasts than for automated cleaning lovers, given that on the market, produced by Roborock herself or by competitors, there are even more performing but more concrete robots, at more affordable prices.

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