Roborock stuns CES 2026 with the world’s first stair-climbing robot vacuum

LAS VEGAS — Roborock emerged as the most-awarded robot vacuum brand at CES 2026, using the annual trade show to debut a new product lineup for the first half of the year.

The company’s flagship reveal, the Saros Rover, is the world’s first robot vacuum to feature an AI-driven “leg-wheel” structure. The device can autonomously navigate and clean stairs, including curved or carpeted surfaces, by utilizing complex sensors and 3D spatial mapping.

While Roborock has not yet confirmed an official launch date for the Saros Rover, the company introduced several other models at the event, including the Saros 20, Saros 20 Sonic, and Qrevo Curv 2 Flow.

The company also announced a new strategic partnership with Real Madrid football club to represent its vacuum cleaner category.

Beyond indoor cleaning, Roborock is expanding into the North American lawn mower market. The company will debut the RockMow X1 LiDAR, X1, and RockNeo Q1 models.

The new product suite was showcased at the company’s exhibit at the Venetian Expo.

ANALYSIS: Roborock’s CES 2026 Showcase Signals Strategic Pivot from Value to Global Innovation Leader

Roborock’s presence at CES 2026 represents a pivotal milestone for the vacuum industry, transcending the typical incremental hardware updates seen in previous cycles. The unveiling of the Saros Rover—a robotic vacuum engineered with stair-climbing capabilities—addresses what has remained a fundamental logistical hurdle for the sector for decades: multi-story home navigation. Should this technology move successfully from prototype to commercial scale, it is poised to redefine the premium segment and establish a new benchmark for automated home maintenance.

The move underscores a calculated strategic shift by the Beijing-based firm. Long regarded as a high-value alternative to Western incumbents, Roborock is now positioning itself as a primary innovator. By tackling core mechanical challenges that have long stymied competitors like iRobot’s Roomba, the company is signaling its intent to move beyond price-point competition toward technical hegemony.

Roborock’s broader corporate strategy further reinforces this pursuit of global market share. Its high-profile partnership with Real Madrid serves as a sophisticated branding exercise, intended to align the company with elite performance and international prestige. Concurrently, its aggressive expansion into the North American robotic mower market demonstrates a diversification strategy designed to challenge established players across multiple hardware verticals.

However, a degree of caution remains necessary for market observers. The Saros Rover currently lacks a definitive launch date and remains in the development phase. At this stage, the device serves more as a proof-of-concept and a demonstration of R&D prowess than a market-ready product. While Roborock is clearly placing a high-stakes bet on its engineering roadmap, the transition from a technical demonstration to a reliable consumer product will determine if this vision can be sustained under real-world conditions.

High-end smart home appliances, particularly premium robot vacuums, are becoming an increasingly common sight in Vietnamese-American households. From the sprawling suburbs of Orange County’s Little Saigon to growing communities across the country, these devices offer a practical solution for maintaining multi-story homes. For families balancing the hustle of the nail salon industry, the demanding hours of running a phở restaurant, or the corporate grind of an H-1B career, time is the ultimate currency. Whether they are navigating the complexities of F2B family sponsorships or managing EB-5 investments, these tech-savvy homeowners prioritize convenience and are eager to invest in the latest automation to streamline their domestic lives.