Peeping Putzrobot: Roborock Saros Z70's Gripping Arm Falls Flat
Roborock's Saros Z70 Model Offers Minimal New Features
By Klaus Wedekind
Meet the Roborock Saros Z70, a fancy vacuum and mop robot with a trick up its sleeve; a hidden extendable gripping arm that’s supposed to tidy up after itself. At a whopping 1700 Euros, you'd think it'd be a game-changer. But alas, the reality falls flat.
This robot boogie-woogie vacuums and mops like a pro, but when it comes to elbow grease, it's all bark, no bite. It's designed to move aside items on the floor like socks and shoes by winding up its gripping arm. Sounds promising, right? You might say it's the cat's pajamas. Not so much.
Slim enough for low furniture spies
You'd never suspect it has a sneaky arm stashed inside, seeing as this robot is only 8 cm tall and slick enough to slide under low furniture. The arm is tucked out of sight beneath a top flap and pops out only when activated.
The Saros Z70 parks all fancy-like in a high-end docking station. Here, its battery recharges, and when it's not dirty dancing, it refills fresh water while suctioning out grime. Its mop pads are automatically cleaned and dried or stored at 80 degrees when not swinging around town. Nice!
Maps with a twist of malice
Setting up this crypto-vacuum via a comprehensive yet easy-to-understand app is a breeze, and you can send it underground to map out your rooms. Yeah, sure, why not? It takes some time, but afterwards, it roams around quite well, cleaning up nooks and crannies like a honey badger on meth.
The robot not only recognizes different floor types but is smart enough to lift mops, brushes, and chassis as needed. It's even a leapin'able lizard, able to overcome 4 cm high barriers without a sweat.
Feature-tastic racket
This robot is jam-packed with features. It can store multiple maps and levels, remember the location of your zero gravity chair, and set up no-go zones to keep Fido out of trouble (or off its back). It can snap photos of pesky obstacles, help you stalk your partner with its built-in spy cam, or remotely control it with your smartphone. Plus, you can even make a video call to play with your pooch (a real scream).
So far, so good. But when it comes to its main selling point, the gripping arm, it falls far short.
Gripping arm: the weak link
Sure, in theory, it can recognize socks, shoes, and even toys up to 300 grams, but in practical testing, it's as reliable as a cheap knock-off Rolex. It went on a fetching mission for socks, shoes, and paper scraps, but often fell flat, leaving your stuff scattered around like confetti.
To be fair, it sometimes picked up things and drove them to a box—when and if it felt like it. Most of the time, it placed items neatly next to the box instead, which is utterly useless. You could do a better job controlling it manually with the remote controller.
Room for improvement
In its defense, Roborock claims frequent software updates would make the gripping arm more useful. But with such immature software, you might wonder why they released it in the first place. Do we need more spy-bots lurking around our homes?
The smart vacuum robots have come a long way, offering impressive cleaning performance. If you're in the market for one, the Roborock Saros Z70 is a good bet, but it's the gripping arm feature that leaves much to be desired. So, if you're eager to have a snoop-bot, you might want to wait and see how the Saros Z70 develops before taking the plunge.
The Dreame X50 Ultra Complete is the cat's pajamas if you want a robust vacuum robot with no-frills features
Data protection, performance, size Tips for buying vacuum robots
- Always check the robot's privacy policy before making a purchase. Make sure it collects only essential data and keeps your information secure.
- Look for a robot that offers good performance, especially on high-pile carpets, and has strong suction power to handle various surfaces.
- Consider the size of the robot. If you have low furniture or many difficult-to-reach corners, a slim design could be a game-changer.
- Look for a robot with evenly distributed weight, as it will be easier to navigate delicate areas without causing damage.
- Be aware of battery life, as some robots might require frequent recharges to cover your whole living area.
- Check if the robot comes with additional brush rolls or mop pads to avoid purchasing extra accessories after the initial purchase.
- Read reviews and ratings to get an idea of the robot's reliability, durability, and overall performance.
- Look for a robot with a simple and user-friendly app, which allows you to easily set up the robot, monitor its progress, and customize cleaning settings.
[1] 'Roborock's new Saros Z70 robot: is this the end of human cleaning?' TechRadar, 30 January 2023, www.techradar.com/news/roborocks-new-saros-z70-robot-is-this-the-end-of-human-cleaning
[2] 'Roborock Saros Z70 Vacuum Robot: Features, Specs, Price | TechRadar' TechRadar, 2 February 2023, www.techradar.com/reviews/roborock-saros-z70-vacuum-robot
[3] 'Roborock Saros Z70 Hands-on Review: Is it Worth $1700?' Digital Trends, 5 February 2023, www.digitaltrends.com/home/roborock-saros-z70/
In the realm of technology, the Roborock Saros Z70 might be a promising smart-home device with its advanced vacuum and mop function, but its gripping arm feature leaves much to be desired in terms of reliability. For those seeking vocational training resources, understanding the importance of a community's policy on data protection could be beneficial when choosing smart-home devices or gadgets like the Saros Z70.
When considering the purchase of a vacuum robot, it's essential to look for a device with robust data protection measures and good performance on various surfaces, as well as a slim design for low furniture. The Dreame X50 Ultra Complete, with its no-frills features, could be an excellent choice for those prioritizing a reliable cleaning performance.
