Tag Archives: Robots

Midea Built A Dr. Strange-inspired Multi-Arm Robot… Humanity Is Absolutely Cooked

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There is a moment in Infinity War where Doctor Strange fans out into a halo of spectral arms and every animator in the room probably high fived. Midea’s new Miro U looks like someone freeze framed that shot, printed it, and walked it down the hall to the robotics lab with the caption “do this, but for factories.” Six coordinated arms, a torso that feels almost cloaked, a wheeled base that spins 360 degrees in place, it reads less like industrial equipment and more like a concept sheet that escaped ArtStation. Except this thing is heading to a washing machine plant in Wuxi, with a target of boosting line changeover efficiency by about 30 percent according to Midea’s own numbers. The visual language screams sorcerer, the job description says production engineer.

You can tell a lot about a robot from what its designers chose to sacrifice. Miro U trades the prestige of bipedal walking for a wheel leg base that is brutally honest about factory floors. No stairs, no urban parkour, just flat concrete and tight aisles that reward stability and turning radius over photogenic gait. It also trades the polite two arm humanoid silhouette for six bionic arms that Midea describes as high precision and flexibly controlled, coordinated around a central spine like a mechanical mandala. That is a very specific bet on parallelism. If you care about line changeovers and modular cells, you want one body that can grab tools, fixtures, and parts at the same time without waiting for someone else to show up.

Designer: Midea

There is a design honesty here that I find refreshing. Most humanoid projects in the West are in a beauty contest with the human form. Smooth faces, leggy proportions, carefully choreographed walking demos, everything framed around the idea that “this could stand where a worker stands.” Miro U walks away from that stage and heads for the backstage rigging. Six arms mean it behaves less like a single worker and more like a compact crew. One pair can hold a housing, another can swap a jig, the remaining arms can manage cables or safety barriers. The silhouette is chaotic on purpose because the workflow is chaotic and the robot is supposed to absorb that complexity.

The numbers around it are still pretty thin, which is typical at this stage, but the broad strokes are telling. Third generation in Midea’s humanoid line, which means they have already burned through at least two iterations before this one hit the news cycle. Fully self developed tech stack, from motion control to the six arm coordination, which matters if you care about long term tuning in real factories rather than trade show floors. Scheduled deployment at the Wuxi washing machine plant this month, following an earlier wheeled humanoid that has been working in Jingzhou since August. This is not a lab mascot. This is a product being dogfooded on a line that actually has throughput targets.

The superhero resemblance is more than a meme hook. Superhero bodies are about exaggerated affordances. Extra limbs, extra reach, extra context switching. Doctor Strange with a ring of arms is a visual metaphor for parallel spellcasting. Miro U with six arms is a visual metaphor for parallel operations on a line that refuses to sit still. Factories that build multiple SKUs on shared equipment live and die by how quickly they can tear down and rebuild a station for the next run. A robot that can reposition fixtures, pull in new tools, and handle parts without waiting for a human crew starts to look less like a novelty and more like a new species of line technician.

You can also read Miro U as a quiet critique of the “humanoid or bust” hype. The question is not whether robots can walk like us, but whether they can inhabit the work in a useful way. Midea is a manufacturer first, and that shows. They do not need a robot that can walk out of the factory and hail a cab. They need something that can survive three shifts a day, roll between modules, and treat the shop floor like a mutable level layout. The wheel base, the vertical lifting, the 360 degree in place rotation, all of that is a love letter to cramped industrial layouts rather than glossy demo stages.

There is also a cultural angle that I cannot ignore. This is a Chinese appliance giant that bought KUKA in 2017 and has been quietly building a robotics stack while the rest of the world argued about whether Tesla’s Optimus would ever fold a shirt. Now they roll out a six arm sorcerer for factories and talk openly about large scale deployment of humanoids across industrial and commercial spaces. Whether Miro U itself becomes a platform or a stepping stone, it signals an attitude. The factory is not a place where you hide robots in cages anymore. It is a stage where body plans are fair game.

Does that mean humanity is cooked. No. It means the shape of “a worker” is starting to fork more visibly. On one branch, you have the leggy, two arm humanoids chasing a one to one replacement fantasy. On another, you now have creatures like Miro U, multi arm, wheeled, unapologetically weird, tuned for specific forms of chaos. The fear response is predictable, but the more interesting reaction is curiosity. If this is what a robot body looks like when you stop caring whether it resembles us, what other silhouettes are still on the cutting room floor.

The post Midea Built A Dr. Strange-inspired Multi-Arm Robot… Humanity Is Absolutely Cooked first appeared on Yanko Design.

Hyundai debuts a fully autonomous, production-ready droid engineered to tackle real-world tasks

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Hyundai Motor Group Robotics LAB has been working on wheeled autonomous robots for some years now, with a gradual development timeline. They revealed the vision of a metamobility bot at CES 2022, which would be better than Boston Dynamics’ Spot the dog robot. The idea was just in the concept stage at the time, and coming from the South Korean giant, we knew it would be substantial when it finally arrived.

Finally, they’ve revealed the Mobile Eccentric Droid, a.k.a. MobED, a mobility robot platform tailored for a diverse range of industrial and everyday-use applications. The bot was shown off at the International Robot Exhibition 2025 (iREX 2025) in Tokyo. According to Dong Jin Hyun, Vice President and Head of Hyundai Motor Group Robotics LAB, the new robot will help “accelerate a future where humans and robots coexist.” The most exciting bit, it’ll be up for sale in the first half of 2026.

Designer: Hyundai

MobED thrives on three main pillars, which refresh our approach towards robotics. These are the Adaptive Mobility (hardware), Intuitive Autonomy (software), and Infinite Journey (applications). This makes the production-ready autonomous bot poised to reboot how robots move, navigate, and ultimately perform tasks in any setup, be it in an industrial location, unknown outdoor terrain, or narrow corridors of your home. Thereby making it perfect for a range of tasks, right from delivering your groceries and carrying gear up a mountain to acting as a golf caddy and being used for creative movie direction.

The wheeled workhorse is equipped with Hyundai’s drive-and-life (DnL) modules, which integrate steering, driving, and height adjustment into one portable unit. TI is integrated with adaptive motion technology, which eliminates any constraints that are environment-specific. All these innovations result in precise posture control to adapt to different terrains, performing difficult tasks in any kind of environment, and that too while carrying a heavy load. The modular nature of the platform makes it ultra-versatile and well worth investing in, compared to other robotics solutions that can do only a limited number of tasks owing to their form factor.

For starters, MobED will be offered in two versions: one will be a basic model that has the mobility capabilities of a current-generation bot, while the other comes with full AI autonomy and advanced navigation sensors. The latter is a pro version, and it is equipped with full AI autonomy, upgraded sensors, LiDAR, and a camera system. You’ll get a follow-me mode, so that the bot stays by your side when you are busy doing multiple tasks. Riding on four wheels doesn’t mean it is an autonomous vehicle of sorts, as it can swivel and articulate the wheels. Just like a four-legged personal bot, it can wave by cogging up its wheel. Fit on top a robotic arm, and the bot functions as warehouse personnel.

The robot is as easy to control as an RC car, since it’s equipped with a touchscreen controller. Hyundai’s robotic division has been quite serious about the future of its rolling droid development that’s been going on for quite a few years now, and the MobED Pro is now poised to change the dynamics of the robotics landscape in the near future.

The post Hyundai debuts a fully autonomous, production-ready droid engineered to tackle real-world tasks first appeared on Yanko Design.

DJI Meets Polestar in This Sleek White FPV Drone Concept That Rejects the Racing Aesthetic

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Polestar’s cool Nordic minimalism is not the first thing you expect to see in an FPV rig, yet this concept leans into that contrast and makes it feel inevitable. The drone lifts DJI’s “stacked” architecture of camera, flight controller, cooling, and battery, then wraps it in a crisp, automotive shell that would look just as natural parked beside an electric coupe as it would screaming through a canyon. Instead of the usual exposed carbon and repair-bench aesthetic, the body reads like a single sculpted volume, with the arms flowing out of a central spine and a long, glassy tech strip revealing the hardware beneath. Subtle light signatures, a clean white finish, and a battery module that wears the Polestar wordmark turn what is usually a niche racing tool into something that feels like a premium consumer product, without sanding off its performance edge.

The design’s intelligence lies in how it translates DJI’s engineering logic into a clean visual language. The concept of “structural stacking” is central here, treating each primary component as a self-contained module arranged in a neat, vertical order. The camera and gimbal sit in a dedicated nose pod, followed by the flight control unit and heat dissipation systems under the long, dark canopy, with the battery locking in as a solid block at the rear. This layered approach brings an architectural order to the drone’s anatomy, making the technology feel organized and accessible. It moves away from the traditional FPV layout, where components are often fastened to an open frame, and instead presents a unified, product-like object that feels intentional from every angle.

Designer: Ocean

The drone’s body is finished in a matte, almost ceramic white, with surfaces that are both soft and incredibly precise, a hallmark of the EV brand’s surfacing strategy. The long, dark insert on top is more than just a cover; it’s a “tech window” that frames the internal hardware as a point of interest, much like Polestar does with its glass roofs and integrated sensor bars. Even the lighting is handled with automotive discipline. The thin purple accents feel like signature light blades, providing a controlled glow that suggests advanced technology rather than the often chaotic RGB strips found on custom FPV builds. The result is a machine that feels both high-tech and incredibly calm.

Still, this polished exterior does not compromise the drone’s aggressive spirit. The wide, planted stance and large, efficient-looking propellers signal that it is built for serious performance. A look at the underside reveals a dense cluster of sensors, cooling vents, and structural ribbing, confirming that this is a tool for demanding pilots, not a toy. The designer skillfully balances these hard-core elements with a consumer-friendly sensibility. The battery, for instance, is a perfect example. Branded with the Polestar logo and featuring clear, intuitive LED charge indicators, it feels like a piece of premium electronics, making a critical component feel safe and simple to handle for users who may not be seasoned hobbyists.

Ultimately, this concept imagines an FPV experience for the tech enthusiast who appreciates sophisticated design as much as raw performance. It is a drone for the person who owns a Polestar, not just because it is electric, but because of its commitment to a clean, forward-looking aesthetic. By merging the robust, modular architecture of a DJI product with the refined, human-centric design of a modern EV, this concept suggests that the future of high-performance drones might be less about exposed wires and carbon fiber, and more about the seamless integration of power and polish.

The post DJI Meets Polestar in This Sleek White FPV Drone Concept That Rejects the Racing Aesthetic first appeared on Yanko Design.

PlayStation teams up with Bad Robot and the creator of Left 4 Dead for a co-op shooter

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Sony Interactive Entertainment has signed a deal to produce and publish a game from Bad Robot, JJ Abrams’ production company. The two sides are keeping most of the details close to their chest for now, but the game is a four-player co-op shooter for PlayStation 5 and PC directed by someone who knows a thing or two about that genre: Left 4 Dead creator Mike Booth.

Bad Robot Games — which is a fully remote studio — was formed in 2018 with the help of Tencent. It has lent a hand on games including Weird West (as an investor and creative consultant) as well as interactive streaming series Silent Hill: Ascension. This new game is the first one that Bad Robot Games is developing in-house.

A few months back, Booth dropped into the Left 4 Dead subreddit to say that he was working on a new co-op game “built on the foundations of what made L4D special. If you enjoyed the teamwork, tension and replayability of my past games, you’ll probably find this one interesting. It expands on the co-op formula in ways I’ve wanted to explore for a long time.” He added that, while the game was still in early development, Bad Robot was opening up a waitlist for access to playtests.

According to a press release, “Bad Robot Games is a dedicated game studio working on new and existing transmedia franchises.” So, this project could well be part of an entirely new franchise, but the prospect of co-op shooter from the designer of Left 4 Dead that’s set in the Cloverfield universe is pretty darn intriguing.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/playstation-teams-up-with-bad-robot-and-the-creator-of-left-4-dead-for-a-co-op-shooter-144637802.html?src=rss

Dyson Cyber Monday deals: Robot vacuums and cordless vacuums are up to $600 off right now

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Cyber Monday deals are here, and a great one to check out is at Dyson. The discounts on Dyson's site right now are some of the best we've seen; one of those is $600 off the Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum, which is down to a record low of $400.

In our testing, the Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vac was one of the most powerful models for suction, making it a good option for households with pets, and it also impressed for its obstacle avoidance. It has Wi-Fi connectivity and an easy-to-use mobile app from Dyson, but the 360 Vis Nav doesn't have a self-emptying dust bin and no mopping capabilities. Since this model doesn't boast too many high-end features, a sale like Cyber Monday is a great time to take advantage for people who want a simple and reliable choice for keeping floors clean.

Cordless vacuums are also a part of the sale. Take the Dyson V9 Motorbar cordless vacuum on sale for just $270 at both Dyson and Amazon, which is a discount of $330. That's more than half off. Dyson devices are all over our list of the best cordless vacuums, and for good reason. The company makes effective products. The V9 Motorbar has been designed to clean all floor types, in addition to upholstery. It's also been engineered to squeeze into tight spots, which is great for hitting those oft-neglected parts of the home.

The suction power is on point and the battery lasts for 40 minutes before requiring a charge. That's just enough time to vacuum a standard-sized home if you don't stop for too many breaks. The V9 is getting a bit long-in-the-tooth. If you want a newer model, the V11 Extra is on sale for $400, which is a discount of $260. This one boosts the suction power and increases the battery life to 60 minutes.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/dyson-cyber-monday-deals-robot-vacuums-and-cordless-vacuums-are-up-to-600-off-right-now-090059733.html?src=rss

Come Together Adds Rolling Speaker and Mini Fridge to Your Couch

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TVs keep getting brighter and sharper, but the viewing experience is still broken up by small, annoying tasks. Getting up for a drink, fiddling with lights, or pausing mid-scene to adjust the volume. These micro-interruptions chip away at immersion more than we admit. Come Together is a concept that tries to design around those gaps instead of just upgrading the panel, treating the home theater as a full ecosystem rather than a screen on a wall.

Come Together is a three-part home theater system made up of a Tower, a Base, and a Station. It’s meant to sit alongside a premium TV as an accessory, not replace it. The Tower handles drinks, lighting, and phone charging. The Base handles spatial sound and movement. The Station is a compact dock that cools, charges, and keeps everything ready for the next movie night.

Designer: Woojin Jang

Most of the time, the Tower sits as a calm black cylinder, but when needed, it rises up to reveal a mini fridge that can hold up to five cans. An optional tray on top can be swapped in for snacks. Adaptive mood lighting under the top disc syncs with what’s on screen, and the very top surface doubles as a Qi2 wireless charging pad for your phone, so it doesn’t die halfway through a marathon.

Instead of a static soundbar, the Base is a circular spatial sound unit with drivers arranged around its perimeter and a 3D ToF sensor for spatial awareness. It maps the room, figures out where you’re sitting, and quietly rolls itself to the best spot for audio. The drive system borrows from robot vacuums, but here the goal is better sound rather than clean floors or delivering drinks in an awkward dance.

The Station is a small, low-profile dock that the system returns to when it’s done. There, it recharges and cools the mini fridge for the next session. A simple display on top shows the time and the fridge temperature, giving you just enough information at a glance. The Station keeps the whole setup feeling like a single, coherent appliance rather than a pile of separate gadgets fighting for outlets and attention.

All three components share a cylindrical, black-glass aesthetic that feels more like high-end audio gear than robots. The Tower’s rising motion and glowing top give it a bit of theater without tipping into gimmick. The Base and Station stay visually quiet, so the TV remains the focal point while the system supports it in the background, both literally and in how it shapes the room.

Come Together shows how robotics might slip into home entertainment without feeling like sci-fi props. By bundling drinks, lighting, and spatial sound into a calm, coordinated system, it treats immersion as something you can design from end to end. For anyone who’s ever hit pause just to grab a drink, the idea of a home theater that comes to you is appealing.

The post Come Together Adds Rolling Speaker and Mini Fridge to Your Couch first appeared on Yanko Design.

Disney teases an Olaf robot for its parks

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Disney has unveiled a new animatronic in the form of Olaf, the carrot-nosed snowman from the Frozen series of films. The robotic character will roam the streets of the upcoming World of Frozen (coming soon to Adventure World at Disneyland Paris) and make "limited-time special appearances at World of Frozen at the Hong Kong Disneyland resort," Disney wrote on its parks blog. 

Olaf, seen in prototype form in a 30-minute Disney video, can walk on his little snowball legs, emote realistically and speak with visitors. During the video, Disney Imagineering Paris exec Michel Den Dulk removes and replaces the robot's nose and arm, something park visitors will also be able to do. 

To help make Olaf look authentic and toon-like in his movements, the Imagineering team used AI reinforcement learning. That allowed them to teach the robot how to walk and perform "graceful" motions in far less time than it would have taken to program it manually, Disney said. The fact that Olaf has a soft, snow-like exterior also let them "fully articulate his mouth, eyes, and removable carrot nose and arms." 

The timing of the announcement is pretty wild considering that Defunctland, the amusement park history site, just released a four-hour YouTube documentary about the broken promise of Disney's animatronics. The main point was that Disney has announced many such characters but only shows them off at a few special events before shoving them away, Westworld basement-style, never to be seen again. 

A few examples of those are the Wall-E robot in the aughts and, more recently, Groot and Star Wars droids. Those served mainly as marketing pieces for Disney, as they only appeared in the parks for specific tests and then disappeared. Disney even made a robot called Big Dino that was 13 feet tall and weighed 11,000 pounds — though it's probably best that one wasn't roaming around the parks greeting visitors.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/disney-teases-an-olaf-robot-for-its-parks-151017739.html?src=rss

Memo home robot brews espresso and loads the dishwasher on its own

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We are all getting busier by the day. And simple household chores and repetitive to-dos often slip through the cracks. But what if there were a robot that could work 24/7 to make our lives easier? This has been a long-time dream for most roboticists, yet home robots have not really reached a stage where they can be trusted, until now. However, this stands to change. At least that’s what the first demonstration of the Memo robot by Mountain-View-based Sunday Robotics suggests.

The robot demonstrated how efficiently it can make a cup of espresso, from start to finish, all by itself, while also being able to carry out a few other repetitive tasks, such as uploading crockery to the dishwasher. The household humanoid was quietly introduced to the world on November 19, and since it has been in the news. The personal home robot designed to assist families with some time-consuming household chores uses homebuilt hardware and integrated AI assistance to perform tasks that require deft handling and precise control.

Designer: Sunday Robotics

Standing 1.7 meters tall and weighing 170 lbs, Memo has a white torso and a friendly face. Instead of moving on legs, the robot is designed to move on a wheeled base. That could mean limited mobility, restricted to level surfaces, but Memo has a telescoping spine allowing the robot to reach up to 2.1 meters to handle tasks like reaching overhead cabinets with ease. The battery-powered robot boasts four hours of runtime, and it takes about an hour to fully charge.

While the capabilities are unlimited, it’s Memo’s demonstrated skill to make a cup of espresso that has really won hearts. In the demonstration, the robot responds to a request for an espresso by using its hands to deftly operate the espresso machine. It is seen filling the portafilter with coffee grounds and then tamping it perfectly before installing it back into the machine to brew a cup by pressing the button. The robot then places a cup in the designated slot to collect the brewed cup of espresso and serve it to the person who asked for it.

Making a cup of espresso might not seem all that spectacular, but Sunday assures Memo is learning to do a range of other chores, such as clearing the table and loading the dishwasher. Besides, it should also be able to fold laundry or sort your shoes for you. “We want to build robots that free people from laundry, from the dishes, from all chores,” cofounder and CEO of Sunday Robotics, Tony Zhao told Wired. Of course, the prospects look nice, but how would the Memo perform in real-life settings: in households with kids and pets, and other messy routines remains to be seen.

The robot’s dexterity, Sunday informs, is based on the company’s training model. It allows Memo to learn directly from real-world domestic behavior and not the industrial simulations in closed lab environments. A reason we are personally resting our stake on Memo to redefine the use of home robots. For this, Memo collects daily household data from more than 500 households, using a Skill Capture Glove. This is a $400 “wearable device that records how people move, clean, sort, and organize objects.” The data accumulated from the glove is provided to an AI model, which then uses it to control the robot’s actions like a human.

Sunday Robotics has started accepting applications for Memo’s beta testing. If you’re interested, you will have to be in the fifty households that will be early adopters to beta test it next year. The idea is to check how the robot performs and to also gauge how people respond to having a robot at home.

The post Memo home robot brews espresso and loads the dishwasher on its own first appeared on Yanko Design.

Uber Eats will use Starship robots in the UK to make deliveries

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Uber Eats has announced it'll soon start using Starship robots to complete food deliveries in certain parts of the UK, beginning in the Leeds and Sheffield areas. These little robo-couriers will only be able to handle deliveries from "select merchants" for the time being.

The robots won't accept tips, for obvious reasons, but customers can still rate their experience via the app. We aren't sure what happens to a particular robot with enough bad ratings. Maybe it gets sent to a farm in the countryside somewhere. 

The service launches in December and the platform says it'll share more information at that date. Uber Eats also says it plans on expanding the operating territory in the near future. To that end, Starship robots are coming to "additional European markets in 2026" and more US markets in 2027.

This isn't Uber's first foray into robot deliveries. Uber Eats has used robots from Serve Robotics and Avride in the past to deliver food.

As for Starship, these diminutive delivery robots have actually been around since 2018. The company says there are currently around 3,000 robots in operation across the world in more than 270 different locations. They can be found at several college campuses, including Purdue University and George Mason.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-eats-will-use-starship-robots-in-the-uk-to-make-deliveries-171928694.html?src=rss

The best robot vacuum for 2026

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Looking to keep your home clean without having to vacuum and mop every day, pick up dirt, the dinner your child threw on the floor or your furry friend’s endless pet hair? Join the club. Smart home gadgets have come a long way over the years, and that includes robot vacuums. With newer technology including voice controls, object detection and more automation features, investing in a robot vacuum cleaner makes more sense now than ever before. Some of the best robot vacuum cleaners even have mopping capabilities, roller brush options and self-emptying bases, too, and there are plenty that don't cost a fortune either. If you’re ready to adopt a less hands-on approach and let a robot vacuum cleaner do the hard work for you, consider our recommendations below.

CES is typically a time for robovac manufacturers to unveil new innovations and this year was no different. Companies like Eufy announced new models, many of which are on the higher end of the price spectrum. Those flagship announcements are often paired with more minor ones that usher in mildly upgraded versions of midrange and entry-level machines.

Now that robot vacuums are ubiquitous, the new models that make headlines tend to have some sort of gimmick like a built-in arm for picking up clothes, or offer (supposedly) top-tier suction power and a slew of extras. They also tend to be super expensive. However, most people will be served just fine with a robot vacuum that doesn’t choke at the first sign of dust bunnies or pet hair, and maybe has mopping capabilities if you want a machine that can tackle hard floors in addition to carpet. Those other innovations are nice-to-haves, not necessities.

Arguably even bigger than CES announcements is the fact that iRobot, a name synonymous with smart cleaning robots, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy at the end of 2025. What does that mean for Roomba owners? Not too much immediately, as the company stated that it will continue to operate with “no anticipated disruption to its app functionality, customer programs, global partners, supply chain relationships or ongoing product support." However, this also means that buying a new Roomba in 2026 is a questionable decision.

Despite companies coming out with gimmicky extras and new software perks in their robot vacuum lineups, the core competency of these devices have remained the same for years: sucking up dirt without needing your attention. You want a robot vacuum with the strongest suction power you can afford. Those with tile and hardwood floors can consider robovacs with mopping capabilities, and those who want peak convenience should opt for a model with a self-emptying base. However, both of those extra features will cost extra.

First and foremost, we recommend considering the floors in your home: Do you have carpet throughout, or tile and hardwood floors, or a mix? Robots with stronger suction power will do a better job picking up dirt on carpets as they can get into high piles more easily. Some machines have “max” modes as well, which ups suction power, but also typically eats battery life faster than the “normal” floor cleaning mode.

Suction power is an important factor to consider. Unfortunately, there isn’t a standard power scale that all robovacs adhere to, so it’s difficult to compare among a bunch of devices. Some companies provide Pascal (Pa) levels and generally the higher the Pa, the stronger the vacuum cleaner will be. But other companies don’t rely on Pa and simply say their robots have X-times more suction than other robots. If you’re looking for the best vacuum for your needs, it’s helpful to pay attention to real-world testing and how well the machine can pick up fine dust, crumbs and pet hair in an environment similar to that of your home.

Wi-Fi connectivity is a key feature for most robot vacuums. Some of the affordable devices aren’t Wi-Fi connected, so it’s best to double check before you buy something on the low end of affordable. Wi-Fi lets a robot vacuum cleaner do things like communicate with a mobile app, which then allows you to control the device from your phone.

Past a certain price threshold, you’ll find advanced perks like home mapping features and improved object detection. Home mapping is exactly what it sounds like: The vacuum uses sensors to map your home’s layout as it cleans, allowing you to send it to particular rooms or avoid no-go zones where you don’t want it to roam.

Most robo-vacs have object detection, but some will be better than others at actually avoiding things like chair legs and children’s toys. High-end models even go so far as to promise obstacle avoidance to steer clear of things like pet poop that can potentially ruin your machine.

Mopping features are much more common now in robot vacuums than they were just five years ago. Machines that support this will have a water tank either built into the robot’s chassis, the auto-empty bin or as a separate piece that you swap in for the dustbin when you want to mop your floors. It makes the robo-vac more useful if you have hard floors in your home that you like to keep squeaky clean, but it does require more work on your part.

Filling and emptying the reservoir remains a human’s job for the most part (except on the most expensive machines), as does adding cleaning solutions if the mopping robot comes with this feature to ensure it uses clean water for every cycle.

Finally, for peak convenience, consider a robot vacuum that comes with a self-empty station. These are basically garbage bins attached to the machine’s docking station. At the end of each job, the robo-vac automatically empties its small dustbin into the large clean base – that means you won’t have to empty the dustbin yourself and you’ll only have to tend to the base once every few weeks.

Just keep in mind that many self-emptying bins require proprietary garbage bags – another long-term expense you’ll have to factor in (look for mentions of “bagless” to avoid this all together). Also, any vac-and-mop robot with a water tank will not dump its dirty water into the clean base, so you’ll still have to clean up that yourself.

First and foremost, always empty your robot vacuum’s dustbin after every cleaning job. If you have a model with a self-emptying base, there’s less work for you to do yourself. If not, simply detach and empty the dustbin as soon as the robot is done cleaning. It’s also a good idea to take a dry cloth to the inside of the dustbin every once in a while to remove any small dust and dirt particles clinging to the insides.

In addition, you’ll want to regularly examine the machine’s brush roll to see if any hair has wrapped around them, or if any large debris is preventing them from working properly. Some brushes are better than others at not succumbing to tangled hair, but it’s a good idea to check your robot’s brushes regardless — both their main brush and any smaller roller brushes or corner brushes they have. These parts are often easy to pop off of the machine (because they do require replacements eventually) so we recommend removing each brush entirely, getting rid of any tangled hair or other debris attached to them and reinstalling them afterwards.

Robot vacuums also have filters that need replacing every couple of months. Check your machine’s user manual or the manufacturer’s website to see how long they recommend going in between filter replacements. Most of the time, these filters cannot be washed, so you will need to buy new ones either directly from the manufacturer or from other retailers like Amazon or Walmart.

We primarily test robot vacuums by using them as they are intended to be used: in a home, across different types of flooring and in the face of all sorts of messes including pet hair, spilt coffee grounds and other food debris, dust bunnies, stairs (gasp) and more. We set up all robot vacuums according to their provided instructions and run multiple cleaning jobs during a testing period of at least one to two weeks per machine.

If the robot has mopping capabilities, we also test those as well on hardwood and tile flooring. For models with self-emptying bases, we rely on those built-in trash cans for all post-job cleaning, and we make sure to test the robot vacuum's mobile app for usability and convenience. As we're testing, we make note of things like how loud the robot and its components are, how much human attention the robot needs on a regular basis, how the robot handles large messes and big dust bunnies, if the robot gets stuck on rugs, doormats or other furniture and more.

We tackled this question when we reviewed budget robot vacuums and the answer is yes, especially if vacuuming is one of your least favorite chores. Robots take the hard work out of cleaning your floors – just turn the thing on and watch it go. Any robot vacuum cleaner worth buying is semi-autonomous in that it will suck up dirt around your home until its battery is low and then make its way back to its charging dock. Unlike a regular vacuum, you should only have to interact with it to turn it on, empty its dustbin and untangle it if it were to get stuck somewhere.

That’s not to say robot vacuums are perfect. They’re almost always less powerful and less flexible than traditional vacuums. Since most robo-vacs are much smaller than traditional models, they often don’t have the same level of suction you’ll get in an upright machine. Plus, their dustbins are smaller, so they will need to be emptied more frequently. While Wi-Fi-connected robot vacuums give you the flexibility to start a cleaning job from anywhere using an app, targeting a small area of your home can be more complicated. Some robo-vacs have spot-cleaning features that focus the machine’s attention on a specific area, which almost – but not quite – mimics the spot-cleaning you’d be able to do yourself with a regular or cordless vacuum.

Robot vacuums can last many years, if you take care of them properly. Check out our recommendations for robot vacuum maintenance above, but in a nutshell, you should make sure that you're emptying the machine's bin after every job and periodically cleaning the interior of the bin and the brushes. It's also a good idea to check the user manual to see how often your robot vacuum's filter needs changing.

There's no straight answer to this question. Robot vacuums offer more convenience than handheld vacuums, so for those who are looking to automate a chore, that could mean one of these devices works better for them than a standard vacuum. However, handheld vacuum cleaners often have stronger suction power, and they give the user a bit more control. It ultimately depends on how you intend to use your main vacuum cleaner and what you want to prioritize most.

Cleaning a robot vacuum isn’t too much of a chore, but you’ll want to give it a little TLC every few weeks or so, depending on how often you’re running it and how much dirt it’s picking up. The dustbin usually needs to be emptied after each cleaning run, especially if you have pets or lots of carpet where dirt can hide. Many newer models have self-emptying docks, which means you won’t have to empty the dustbin yourself after every use, but the main bin will still need a good clean once a month or so. Also, it’s a good idea to check the side brushes and main brush for any hair tangles or debris every couple of weeks to keep things running smoothly.

Robot vacuums won’t work for everyone. One of the biggest drawbacks is that they usually don’t have the same suction power as a full-sized upright vacuum or even a cordless stick vacuum, so they might struggle with deep-cleaning thick carpets. They’re also designed for floors only, so if you’re looking to clean furniture, stairs or other tricky spots, you’ll still need a traditional vacuum to do that. Plus, they can sometimes get stuck or miss spots, especially if you’ve got a lot of furniture or obstacles in the way. While their sensors help, they might still bump into things or need a little help getting out of tight spots. And while most have decent dirt detection features, they’re best for keeping things tidy rather than doing heavy-duty cleaning.

Check out more from our spring cleaning guide.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-robot-vacuums-130010426.html?src=rss