Chinese robotics company Ecovacs has unveiled what it claims is the market’s most advanced AI-driven floor cleaner for home vacuuming, mopping and even home monitoring.
 
The Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI features simultaneous vacuuming and mopping with laser-based home mapping, object identification and avoidance, and remote monitoring to bring peace of mind to homeowners. It costs $800.
 
TrueMapping laser mapping and navigation technology is based on a DToF sensor and AIVI (artificial intelligence and visual interpretation) technology with an AI chipset and camera module. It can map any home faster and with more precision than current LDS (laser distance sensor) navigation technology, with the ability to detect and recognise common household objects including shoes, socks, chairs and cables. In addition, it reduces the risk of getting stuck by 60% compared with earlier models.
 
This cleaning powerhouse provides simultaneous vacuum-plus-mop functionality, removing up to 99.26% of bacteria. With carpet detection, it automatically avoids carpets when mopping.
 
A 240ml water tank enables over 100 minutes of mop time, covering more than 186 square metres of flooring. The 5200mAh lithium-ion battery provides more than three hours of runtime, enabling over 278 square metres of coverage in standard suction mode.
 
Additionally, home monitoring is provided through a live video stream, available on demand through the Ecovacs Home app. This lets owners check in on their pets, check for open doors, or items left on such as a plugged-in iron.
 
The cleaner uses three levels of suction power to tackle any mess put in front of it, automatically doubling suction power when transitioning from a hard floor surface to carpet.
 
TrueMapping navigates and maps the home using laser and DToF sensor technology. With this, detection distance is doubled and detection accuracy of small objects is increased fourfold over previous models. The interactive map gives users the ability to choose how and where they want to clean and monitor. They can use unlimited virtual boundaries, area mode and custom mode to clean specific areas and rooms or to avoid others.
 
Virtual Boundary Advisor identifies areas in the home environment that can cause the robot to be frequently stuck. It can proactively advise on setting up virtual boundaries to avoid those areas in the future.
 
With objects on the floor, robots can sometimes miss areas during cleaning. After each cleaning, AIVI will send a notification to the user with details of which areas were missed during the last cleaning cycle and invites the user to remove identified obstacles. Once the obstacles are removed, the user can send the robot back to clean only those areas missed in one tap.