Watchers of the drone industry will know that the leading company, DJI, has ambitions outside the field, including the much-rumoured Robot Vacuum called ROMO.
What DJI flag as "millimeter-level obstacle sensing" is built using dual fisheye vision sensors and LiDAR, technology familiar from the best camera drones, including relatively consumer-friendly craft like the Mini 5 Pro. In the vacuum, though, the technology is tasked with saving your socks and other objects from clogging the device as it works on your floors.
DJI's expertise in drone mapping and navigation has also resulted in industry-leading path planning. The ROMO adjusts its cleaning strategy on the fly, getting close to table legs and corners for a deep clean while intelligently steering clear of things like stray socks or liquids. No mess, no fuss, just clean floors.
Under the hood, the ROMO packs a punch with up to 25,000 Pascals of suction (3000 more than a Dyson Hyperdymium™ motor) and 20 liters of airflow per second, ensuring even the heaviest debris is whisked away. The roller brushes are driven by twin high-torque motors, designed to eliminate hair tangles—a godsend for pet owners.
The real party trick is extendable arms used for sweeping surfaces before cleaning. These dual flexible arms automatically reach deep into corners and along edges, snagging dust from under cabinets and around irregularly shaped furniture.
For tech fans, there is an additional premium model, the 'P', with transparent panels so the construction can be admired by enthusiasts, as well as an extra compartment for a floor deodorizer.
The self-cleaning base station is just as smart. It features high-pressure water jets and a large waste outlet to thoroughly wash the mop pads and flush away debris, promising up to 200 days of maintenance-free operation. Even the dust collection has a 3-stage sound suppression system to keep the noise down.
The Romo is being launched today outside China – in mainland Europe – but in what might be a very interesting step – not in the UK. We have become used to DJI steering clear of the United States because of the American government's hostile attitude toward the company, but the UK has not yet sidelined itself in quite the same way (except through the impact of Brexit reducing trading bloc size).
Pricing is from €1,299, which is £1,137 or $1,515 (the P model is €1,899).
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