Ecovacs launching robotic lawnmower, commercial floor-cleaning robots in 2023

By Jon Bitner October 26, 2022

Ecovacs, a prominent name in the world of home service robots, is expanding its lineup with a robotic lawnmower and commercial floor cleaning robot. The two products are expected to arrive in China next year, although pricing and North American release dates are yet to be determined.

The robot lawnmower, Goat G1, is arguably the more interesting of the two, as it’s designed for both personal and commercial use. This will be the first robotic lawnmower from Ecovacs, although it builds on existing technology to offer a lawn-mowing experience that works much like a robot vacuum. After mapping out your yard with an accompanying smartphone app, the Goat G1 will go about cutting grass with centimeter-level precision, thanks to a 360-degree camera and the ability to scan 25 frames per second to avoid moving obstacles.

The ECOVACS GOAT 1 mowing a lawn.

Ecovacs says you can expect it to take around 20 minutes to initially map out your property. The Goat G1 can handle up to 6500 square feet of mowing each day, is IPX6-rated to deal with inclement weather, uses a variety of localization networks to monitor its position (including ultra-wideband, GPS, and inertial navigation), and is expected to arrive in China and Europe in March 2023. If you can’t wait that long, be sure to check out our roundup of the best robotic lawnmowers of 2022.

Unlike the Goat G1, the Deebot Pro is designed for commercial use — think shopping malls, professional offices, and conference centers. The robot is massive compared to traditional robot mops and vacuums built for personal use, although it offers a “shared intelligence” system called Homogeneous Intelligence Variable Execution (HIVE), which allows it to share data across a team of robots. This means you can send out a crew of Deebot Pro robots to clean a building, and they’ll get updated details on what’s been cleaned and what still needs to be done. Two robots will be offered in this lineup: the larger M1 and a smaller K1.

DEEBOT PRO moving around an office.

Deebot Pro will release in China in the first quarter of 2023. Neither product is currently slated to arrive in North America, but since many products in the Ecovacs catalog are already available in the U.S., it’s possible we’ll see them at a later date.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…

Smart Home

Ecovacs introduces three new robot vacuums for homes of all sizes

The new ECOVACS products on a kitchen floor.

Ecovacs is one of the biggest names in the world of robot vacuums, and it’s looking to continue that dominance in 2023 with three new product launches. Ranging in price from $650 to $1,300, the trio of DEEBOT robot vacuums is designed for smart homes of different sizes and different needs, ensuring there’s something for every family.

The Deebot T10 Omni is the most compelling of the three -- and it’s also the most expensive at $1,300. It brings a lot to the table, however, as it features the new Ozmo Turbo 2.0 mopping system with spinning brushes, the ability to take voice commands without a third-party product, and a docking station with auto-cleaning and auto-emptying capabilities. It’s designed for homes of all sizes, but it should be the most enticing for large families that see plenty of foot traffic (or paw traffic) through their house.

Smart Home

Self-emptying robot vacuums: Do you really need one?

The iRobot Roomba i3 Plus dirt disposal unit.

Many robot vacuums are smart enough to automatically clean your home, but most lack the ability to empty their dustbins. That means you’ll still be fussing with a dirty robot vacuum -- which sort of defeats the entire purpose. However, if you step up to a premium model like the iRobot Roomba j7+, you’ll benefit from a device that knows how to empty itself when its dustbin is full.

The capability can even be found on some midrange models, but is a self-emptying robot vacuum necessary? Or should you save the extra cash and opt for an entry-level robot that lacks the feature? Here’s a closer look at the benefits and drawbacks associated with self-emptying robot vacuums.
What is a self-emptying system?
As a robot vacuum cleans, it pulls debris into an interior storage system -- usually a relatively small dustbin. Depending on the size of your home and how dirty the floor is, you may have to empty the dustbin every two or three cleaning cycles.

Smart Home

Roborock S8 lineup brings next-gen cleaning skills to CES 2023

The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra in a kitchen.

Roborock is one of the biggest names in the world of robot vacuums. CES 2023 was another big showing for the company, as it revealed the Roborock S8 lineup that consists of three products, one of which offers advanced self-cleaning capabilities while docked.

The S8 Pro Ultra is the most exciting robot vacuum of the bunch, offering suction power that maxes out at 6,000Pa, a new dual rubber roller brush that’s great for tackling troublesome pet hair, and a mopping system that can retract 6mm to prevent cross-contamination when heading back to the dock. There’s also an innovative mopping system (dubbed VibraRise 2.0), which allows for floors to be scrubbed 3,000 times per minute and is robust enough to handle just about anything you throw at it.