Ingenious gripper arm or overengineered?
While other manufacturers are still experimenting with obstacle detection or smart route planning, Roborock is already thinking ahead. Robots that don't just clean, but actively assist in the household. With the Saros Z70, the company is raising the bar again, launching the world's first robot vacuum with a gripper arm.
The so-called OmniGrip robot arm is a five-axis gripper arm that extends from its housing when needed and moves objects such as cables, socks, or toys out of the way. The arm is said to be able to lift up to 300 grams. In everyday life, it's no longer a case of "please tidy up the room, the robot is coming," but rather the other way around. The idea of the robot clearing the floor before starting to clean sounds appealing, at least on paper.
As futuristic as this feature seems, there's plenty of room for error. What if the robotic arm grabs the curtain instead of the toy? Or what if the arm mistakes a charging cable for trash and roughly pulls it off the table? Roborock addresses these issues with safety features like child lock, emergency stop, and an RGB camera with LED lighting. Initial long-term tests will have to show how reliably this works in practice.
Laser tower? It doesn't exist anymore.
While most robot vacuums rely on lidar-assisted navigation with a visible laser tower, Roborock takes the same approach with the Saros Z70 as it did with the Saros 10R (our Test) . The StarSight Autonomous System 2.0 combines 3D ToF sensors with RGB cameras. According to the manufacturer, this system automatically detects up to 108 obstacles. Users can also name another 50 themselves and store them in the system.
The technology is sophisticated, but not always faster than traditional LDS systems. What it gains is the height. At just 7,98 cm, the Z70 fits under most furniture. It also features VertiBeam, a side-facing obstacle avoidance technology that improves maneuverability along walls and furniture.
22.000 Pascal suction power
When it comes to cleaning, Roborock packs a punch, as usual. It boasts an impressive 22.000 Pascal suction power, a newly developed FreeFlow main brush, an anti-tangle system for hair and cables, and two rotating mops that automatically raise up to 2,2 centimeters. This allows for smooth transitions between vacuuming and mopping without getting carpets wet.
If you just want to vacuum, the mops simply stay in the dock and are only plugged in when they're actually needed. This reduces unnecessary handling and extends the lifespan of the mop modules.
Multifunctional Dock 4.0
The new Multifunctional Dock 4.0 takes care of what would otherwise be a chore. It fills the fresh water tank, cleans the mops with 80°C hot water, automatically connects them, and recharges the device in just 2,5 hours. While the docking station doesn't look spectacular, it offers the level of automation you'd expect in this price range.
In some details, the Z70 appears less well-thought-out than its predecessor. The dust container is located behind a removable cover, which looks less elegant than the flap solution on the Saros 10. The water tanks are also uncovered. Visually, it's a step backward.
Animal lovers, pay attention
Another attention-grabbing feature is Pet Snaps. While cleaning, the robot automatically takes photos of pets and saves them in the app. Whether this is a useful feature or a neat gimmick is a matter of taste. Pet Area Recognition reduces suction power near pets to avoid frightening them. Anyone who wants to can even start live video streams via the app and use the robot as a pet camera.
The Saros Z70 also supports Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home, and is Matter 1.4 compatible. Offline voice control is also integrated.
Prices and availability
The Roborock Saros Z70 is now available in the Roborock Shop, at Amazon and MediaMarkt. Prices at a glance:
- Roborock Saros Z70: €1.699 (RRP: €1.799)
- Roborock Saros Z70 with water connection: €1.799 (RRP: €1.899)
