"If you listen to the CES hype machine this year, you might think that robots are finally ready to take over your domestic duties. To some extent that's true, but take note of the plural: there's no single robot ready to take over all of your household chores yet, but an army of them just might. You might have had one of these single-purpose robots in your home for years already, of course."
"Last CES, robot vacuums got arms, and 2026 is apparently the year of legs. Roborock announced the Saros Rover, a vacuum on two articulating, wheeled legs, which can jump over obstacles, navigate tricky terrain, and climb stairs. Dreame showed off its own legged concept vacuum, the Cyber X, at IFA last September, and it's back at CES this week with its four tank tread legs in a design I could only describe as "extremely threatening.""
No single robot can yet perform all household chores. Specialized robots are proliferating, with long-standing single-purpose devices like vacuum cleaners evolving into more capable machines. Recent designs add manipulators, legs, or alternative locomotion to handle stairs, obstacles, and varied terrain. Manufacturers are expanding navigation technology into robotic mowers and pool cleaners. New consumer offerings include multifunction vacuums that add features such as fragrance diffusion and a wave of robotic toys and pet-like devices. The current trajectory emphasizes a collection of task-specific robots rather than one do-it-all domestic robot.
Read at The Verge
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