This Robot Challenge Has A Claw Snail That’s Perfect For Picking Up Tricky Socks

It was only a matter of time before robot vacuums reached a new stage of evolution. Over the years, they have become faster, smarter, and able to climb. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone here at CES 2025 that we’ll see one that can grow a sharp arm to help with its cleaning duties.

The Roborock Saros Z70 is a robot vacuum with a folding arm inside its chassis. The “OmniGrip” mechanical arm can extend and twist to pick up small objects or debris and drop them at a designated location.

The Saros Z70 will run its regular cleaning routine and see what it can pick up. After the first cleaning is completed, it rotates again to pick up the item and remove it. If you don’t have patience, you can control the arm yourself through this app. A camera inside the arm makes picking things up easier and gives the fun of carnival games.

The hand alone can carry up to 300 grams. At a private demonstration, we saw the Saros Z70 try to pack a pair of socks to mixed results. Roborock said the bot was running old apps during the demo; the claw arm struggled to pick up a loose sock on the first few attempts and refused to come out of its chamber during one attempt, requiring a bit of hard work.

As you can see in the video, the AI-powered robot vacuum takes a long time to pick up and transfer the sock. However, if you drive overnight or leave, it’s probably not a big deal. In addition to socks, the Saros Z70 can handle small toys, towels, and slippers and put them back where they belong.

Roborock says the Saros Z70 recognizes up to 108 objects using machine learning. The app allows you to describe and list up to 50 items in your home. Data is stored on the device, not in the cloud.

Outside of being able to pick up your trash, the Saros Z70 offers everything you’d expect from a high-end cleaning robot. It scrubs, cleans corners, and has a quick charging port. It will also work with smart home ecosystems such as Apple Home, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa.

Roborock Saros Z70 will be launched later this year. Prices have not yet been announced.

Gizmodo is covering the coolest and weirdest tech from the show Cost of CES 2025 in Las Vegas. Follow our news here.