For $79.99 you get a sensor compatible with Thread and Zigbee networks that’s a more private alternative to cameras. It uses mmWave radar to track occupants in real time, and knows if they’re standing, sitting, or lying down. It can also detect falls and count the number of occupants, how long they’ve hung around, and the distance they’ve traveled.
I saw the upcoming S30 Mini at IFA last week, and my bathroom floors are excited. SwitchBot’s line of mini robot vacuums is great for smaller spaces like apartments, home offices, or bedrooms, but none have full mopping capabilities — until now. The S30 Mini adds a roller mop to the 11-inch-wide vacuum, and it looks like a good solution for small bathrooms. There’s no price or release date yet.
The company’s Saros 20 Flow goes on sale today for $1,499.99 (down from $1,699.99). At 3.53 inches tall, it’s one of the slimmest roller mop models, and with 36,000 Pa suction, camera-based obstacle recognition, and the ability to climb multi-layer thresholds, this robot should be able to get the job done. I got a first look at IFA last week and plan to test it soon.
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The ban, announced in July, has caused chaos for many manufacturers of robot vacuums, pool cleaners, lawn mowers, and more. Swedish company Husqvarna has secured the first exception to the rule for its 305v IQ, 310v IQ, 420v IQ, and 440v IQ after the Defense Department decided they don’t pose a national security risk.
The buzz at IFA was all around robotics — humanoids, quadrupeds, and wheeled bots designed to be household helpers and companions. I was on a panel (watch it here) where roboticists and entrepreneurs insisted that in five years everyone will know someone with a humanoid at home.
I don’t buy it. Yes, I saw some impressive-looking robots. But behind almost every one was a human with a PlayStation controller.
The Roomba Duo is a new concept from iRobot. Two vacuums in one: the larger robot is a vacuum and steam mop (I watched it suck up pasta from carpet) and the smaller one sits on top. When the Duo finds areas it can’t reach, it uses a mechanical arm to lower the second bot to the floor.
It feels like an overly complex solution to the traditional limitations of robot vacuums, but it’s nice to see some ambition from iRobot.
The Kata Mini is one of those weird AI companions that have little purpose other than to be cute and creepy — speaker and microphone on your keychain plushie, anyone?
But the Mini, a portable, camera-less version of a Kata Friend companion, can also control SwitchBot smart home products. That’s a new way to turn on the lights. It’s coming later this year.
And they won’t be making more, meaning there won’t be a way to add Z-Wave devices to a SmartThings smart home. Aeotec, which makes both hubs for Samsung, told me they have about 10,000 left, which may last through the end of the year. Samsung discontinued the V3 last year and replaced it with the Smart Home Hub 2, which has twice the performance, but doesn’t support Z-Wave.
The fiercely open-source smart home platform had its first-ever booth at IFA this week and, true to form, didn’t pull any punches.
Double-decker robovacs, a smartphone that eliminates the screen bezel, and another laptop with an expanding screen.
The flagship Deebot X12S Omnicyclone comes with a “FocusJet” that sprays cleaning solution on dried-on stains before scrubbing, and a dust-mite chamber that pushes down into the pile to create a seal while vacuuming. There’s also a privacy shield to cover the robovac’s built-in camera.
The Deebot X12S Omnicyclone is now available in the US for $1,299.99.
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