A stereo camera and a Qualcomm-based neural network are helping an intelligent vacuum cleaner from Chinese firm Roborock improve its obstacle avoidance skills.
 
The S6 MaxV is powered by a Qualcomm APQ8053 processor chip to improve its on-device AI and connectivity performance. Its Reactive AI helps the vacuum not only recognise but also avoid a range of common robot trapping obstacles, meaning people, especially parents and pet owners, can run their robotic vacuums with fewer worries.
 
“The seamless integration of Reactive AI with our advanced laser technology allows the Roborock S6 MaxV to estimate the size and location of common obstacles and the best way to clean around them, setting the standard for our smartest navigational robot vacuum yet,” said Richard Chang, CEO of Roborock. “The powerful image processing technology behind it has led us to work with Qualcomm Technologies for the first time, a journey we are delighted to begin as we continue to imagine the next generation of robotic vacuums to navigate today’s world.”
 
This vision is echoed by Dev Singh, senior director of business development and head of autonomous robotics, drones and intelligent machines at Qualcomm Technologies.
 
“The advancements that Roborock has made in the home robotics industry these past years are remarkable,” said Singh. “We’re thrilled to work with Roborock on its first product to launch with a stereo camera and a Qualcomm APQ8053 heterogeneous processor, powering the MaxV with cutting-edge on-device computation performance plus long-lasting battery life in an effort to bring the next generation of innovative robot vacuums to life.”
 
The stereo camera on the front captures detailed images at a maximum speed of 30fps, allowing image processing to recognise and avoid common obstacles including pet waste, weighing scales and shoes.
 
The Reactive AI obstacle avoidance technology uses a convolutional neural network for image processing, trained on tens of thousands of images and powered by the APQ8053 processor.
 
With its 2500Pa of suction, which offers 25% more suction power than its predecessor the S6, the S6 MaxV is Roborock’s most powerful vacuum cleaner, now picking up even finer dirt from hard floors and reaching deeper into carpets.
 
Its 5200mAh battery lets it clean for up to three hours in quiet mode. Smart top-op allows the robot to recharge just enough to complete a large clean when needed.
 
Multi-level mapping technology allows the robot to recognise different levels of a home automatically. Every floor can now have its own set of no-go zones and no-mop zones, and the automatic room recognition feature splits each level into rooms and can also extended to multiple floors.
 
In addition, the company has added the Roborock E4 to its E-Series line. The robotic vacuum features sensors and an internal map, enabling it to know where it has cleaned and what areas still remain.
 
Roborock is available in 40 countries, including the USA, Germany, France and Spain. The company operates out of four locations, with offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong.