iRobot, the pioneer of the robot vacuum industry, showcased a bold new vision at the IFA tech show in Berlin: the Roomba Duo. This concept device attempts to solve the persistent limitation of robotic cleaners — their inability to reach tight spaces and corners due to their size.
A Robot Within a Robot
The Roomba Duo combines a heavy-duty floor-washing machine with a smaller, slimmer unit called the Roomba Plus 757. The main unit acts as an autonomous mobile dock, carrying clean and dirty water tanks and a dust bag. When the system encounters areas the bulky main unit cannot access, such as under furniture or in corners, a mechanical arm lowers the smaller robot to finish the job.
According to iRobot’s Adam Pope, the main vacuum is the most powerful the company has ever produced, offering capabilities comparable to a traditional upright vacuum. It features a steam-mop with a large roller that applies 46 newtons of downward pressure. During a live demo, the device successfully sucked up pasta from a carpet before proceeding to wash the surface.
New Leadership and Strategic Pivot
The Duo was presented by iRobot’s new CEO, Hao Li, who joined from the parent company, Picea. Picea acquired iRobot out of bankruptcy earlier this year, and this concept signals a new direction for the brand. However, the Roomba Duo is currently just a concept bot with no confirmed price or release date. The device's size is substantial; it reportedly required two engineers to carry it during the exhibition.
Equipped with lidar and camera-based navigation, the Duo maps homes and detects obstacles autonomously. While its design resembles commercial cleaning robots found in malls or hotels, iRobot suggests it could replace an entire fleet of home cleaning tools, including stick vacuums and carpet cleaners, by consolidating them into a single, albeit large, system.
