A stair-climbing robot vacuum is not a brand new thought. We noticed an early try at it with the Dreame X50 Ultra, which was in a position to overcome thresholds of round 2 inches. Just lately, at IFA 2025, we noticed the Eufy Marswalker and Dreame CyberX, which use a system of treads and a further shell to assist the robotic rise up stairs. Nonetheless, neither can truly clear the steps.Â
The Roborock Saros Rover is totally different. It is a robotic with legs — and I imply actual legs, not treads or a carry system.Â
Learn extra: The Roborock Saros Rover has been chosen as a winner within the Finest Good Dwelling Tech class for the Official Best of CES 2026 Awards.
Sure, this robotic vacuum comes with real hen legs (or perhaps frog legs) and wheels on the underside. It is a weird-looking system, little question, however the result’s arduous to argue with. Here at CES, I watched Roborock run the Saros Rover by means of a spread of demos to showcase its stair-climbing talents, stability and talent to jump over obstacles and even dance. Here is what I believed.Â
Watch this: Examine Out the First Robotic Vacuum With Legs in Motion at CES
The Rover’s legs remind me of hen or frog legs with how they fold and unfold.
How the Saros Rover worksÂ
The Saros Rover makes use of its legs to wedge its physique up on the following step, then attracts them up after it.
The Saros Rover operates in a different way from the opposite stair-climbing robots I’ve seen demoed earlier than. As an alternative of utilizing a shell with tread attachments, it deploys a pair of legs and wheels to lever itself up over stairs and different obstacles. Its climbing is vaguely paying homage to a stork or different long-legged fowl, with the 2 legs appearing as a help to push its massive, flat physique up on the following step. Then the legs fold themselves up behind its again, after which it deploys them once more for the following step.
Do not miss any of our unbiased tech content material and lab-based opinions. Add CNET as a most popular Google supply on Chrome.Â
The Saros Rover can deal with all method of stairs, together with conventional, curved and carpeted.
It took the Saros Rover roughly 30 to 40 seconds to climb about 5 massive steps, so it is definitely not very quick in comparison with a human, however it could possibly and can clear every step because it strikes up. It does that by utilizing one leg for stability on the step under, then rolls itself up and down the following step to make sure it is clear earlier than transferring on. That is notably one thing that Eufy instructed us that its Marswalker is not in a position to do, and the identical is true of Dreame’s prototype mannequin as effectively.Â
The Rover takes a while to climb steps, nevertheless it’s impressively responsive when utilizing its wheels.
Roborock says that the Rover ought to have the ability to deal with each conventional and curved staircases, in addition to totally different flooring varieties, included carpeted staircases with bullnose fronts. It’s going to additionally assist deal with different obstacles that could be current in your house, reminiscent of multilevel room thresholds.
The Saros Rover legs are hooked up to its physique and it would not depend on any exterior attachments to recover from stairs.
A hopping and dancing roboticÂ
The Saros Rover dancing and hopping whereas surrounded by Z70s.
What impressed me probably the most in regards to the Saros Rover is its means to stability and maneuver itself. Gone are the times of a hesitant robotic vacuum that slowly and tentatively edges round obstacles, as if not sure of its environment. The Saros Rover not solely climbs stairs, it rises up on its wheel-legs for added maneuverability. This offers it elevated attain, carry and peak, which Roborock compares to human mobility.Â
The Saros Rover did not have any issues with ramps or inclines.
As soon as it reached the highest of the steps that Roborock arrange for the demos, I watched it go down a reasonably steep ramp with spectacular management over its pace. It was even in a position to cease partway down the incline and reverse, which is one thing I’ve by no means seen one other robotic vacuum do earlier than. It is in a position to make sudden stops and turns, and even hop, which Roborock demonstrated for me with a cute little dance involving the Rover, surrounded by Saros Z70 fashions waving their arms in sync to the beat, very like a gaggle of followers.Â
The Saros Rover may also reverse with out a lot effort and go up steep inclines.
It is all very spectacular to have a look at and there was just one occasion the place I noticed the Saros Rover lose its stability and stumble somewhat, nevertheless it appeared in a position to proper itself pretty successfully earlier than one of many Roborock sales space employees swooped it up. In all equity, these are early prototype fashions, so some hiccups are to be anticipated, however what was putting is simply how few hiccups there truly have been. Â
The software program is the place the magic occurs
The Saros Rover drawing its legs up behind it after it reaches the highest of stairs.
No matter software program Roborock makes use of to handle navigation and object avoidance is spectacular. Roborock instructed me that it makes use of an AI algorithm, working at the side of advanced movement sensors and 3D spatial data, to allow the wheel legs to react to their environment.Â
Object avoidance has been a giant problem for robotic vacuums and even the most effective ones we have advisable at CNET have had points avoiding sure obstacles like pet waste. The issue is totally on the software program finish moderately than the {hardware} finish, so if the Saros Rover is ready to deal with stairs, thresholds, inclines and different boundaries, that places it heads and shoulders above most different robotic vacuums in the marketplace, a minimum of till we see the capabilities of Narwal’s upcoming Flow 2.
The Rover was in a position to management its pace coming down the ramp, and it by no means crashed into the wooden on the finish of the demo space.
Whereas Roborock did not exhibit this for me in particular person, additionally they confirmed me a video from an earlier briefing of the Saros Rover dodging tennis balls thrown at it by Roborock engineers (signal me up for that job). I requested what the tennis balls are supposed to symbolize in a real-world use case and firm officers defined that it is meant to showcase that the Saros Rover is ready to determine and react to fast-moving objects in its setting which may get in its means, reminiscent of pets and youngsters. As somebody with three cats who get pleasure from zooming, I am trying ahead to seeing the way it works with them and placing the Rover to the take a look at at CNET Labs.
Worth and availability unknownÂ
The Saros Rover may also use its peak and maneuverability to get round obstacles.
Roborock additionally assured me that this can be a product that may come to market, although they presently do not have pricing or an estimated time to market to share. With the arm-equipped Roborock Saros Z70 beginning at $2,599 when it was first launched, I anticipate the Saros Rover to price a minimum of as a lot, if no more. In fact, the Saros Z70 dropped in value over time and today might be gotten for round $2,000 when you discover it on sale, so my hope is that we’ll see the identical with the Saros Rover.Â
CES 2026: These Robots and AI Instruments Dominated the Present Flooring
