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This robot hoover has legs and can even climb stairs

6.1.2026

Translation: machine translated

The Roborock Saros Rover is the first robotic vacuum cleaner that can even climb stairs with its long stork legs - and clean every step directly.

The Roborock Saros Rover is not the first robot hoover that can climb stairs. At the IFA in Berlin, manufacturers such as Eufy and Dreame showed models that can clean several floors. The catch: the robot hoovers themselves cannot climb at all. They need a second robot to piggyback them and transport them over the obstacle.

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The Saros Rover, which the Chinese manufacturer presented at the CES tech fair in Las Vegas, is a different story. This robot hoover has legs that look like a mixture of frog and stork legs. However, there is no foot attached to the end of each leg, but a wheel instead.

When retracted, the wheels are used for normal locomotion on the floor. In front of a staircase, the rover extends its legs and lifts the housing. The rover places the housing on the step and pulls the legs back.

This is how the robot climbs the stairs step by step.
Source: Roborock

Half a minute for five steps

The robot hoover should be able to tackle a wide variety of stairs: straight or curved, smooth surfaces or even carpeted. What it needs in each case is enough space on each step to be able to perform the leg manoeuvre. In test operation at CES, it took around 30 to 40 seconds to overcome five large steps, reports CNET.

The Saros Rover therefore does not need a transport vehicle and can also clean the steps at the same time. The competition can't do this because it is transported by a second robot. On the other hand, the Eufy and Dreame models are significantly faster when climbing in pairs.

The Rover can balance on its two rolling legs.
Source: Roborock

Impressive in the first showcase is how well the robot hoover can balance on two legs and avoid obstacles. It can squat and zigzag down steep ramps. Sensors, cameras and complex software help it recognise its surroundings precisely. This should also help to recognise obstacles in normal everyday cleaning - even if they are moving or very small.

The model shown at CES is just a prototype. It remains to be seen when the Saros Rover will go on sale and at what price. However, the manufacturer has assured that a market launch is planned.

The legs of the rover can be folded in to clean the floor as normal.
Source: Roborock

Header image: Roborock

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Lorenz Keller

Senior Editor

Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.ch

Gadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.

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