• Key Takeaway: The Saros Z70, a robot vacuum with a robotic arm, holds promise but currently, its utility is limited.
• Limitations of the Feature: The robot can currently only pick up socks, shoes, lightweight paper, and tissue; it can’t detect or pick up heavier objects, wires, or pet food bowls.

I first started testing robot vacuums over a decade ago, and my takeaway was that the idea held promise, but wasn’t worth the price and hassle yet. At the time, robot vacuums were more like bumper bots, and users had to take time to prepare their homes to avoid obstructions and tangles.

Fast forward to 2025, and robot vacuums have made tremendous progress. The latest models, like the Roborock Saros Z70, can map your home, vacuum and mop simultaneously, and self-empty when they’re done. The Saros Z70, in particular, boasts a remarkable feature – a robotic arm that can pick up clutter around the house.

The Robotic Arm: A Feature with Promise but Limited Utility

During my preview of the Saros Z70, I was able to see the robotic arm in action. It’s a significant innovation, but, in my opinion, it doesn’t seem that useful right now.

“I was told repeatedly throughout the preview that the engineering team is rapidly training the robot on new items and hopes that it’ll be able to push software updates to the vacuum to make it smarter and smarter as the year goes on,” said the representative.

Currently, the robotic arm can pick up socks, lightweight shoes, and crumbled pieces of tissue or paper. However, this limits the utility of the feature, as it cannot detect or pick up heavier objects, wires, or pet food bowls.

The Saros Z70 has been trained to recognize and pick up only a handful of objects, including socks, shoes, and crumbled pieces of tissue or paper. While it’s a nice feature, it’s not yet practical for everyday use.

I was told that the engineering team is rapidly training the robot on new items and hopes that it’ll be able to push software updates to the vacuum to make it smarter and smarter as the year goes on. However, I personally wouldn’t pay the $1,000 upgrade over the Saros 10R for the convenience of not having to pick up a sock every now and again.

Additional Features and Limitations

The Saros Z70 has a few additional features, including the ability to drive around and pick up objects manually. However, this feature seems to be more for fun than convenience.

You can also drive the robot around and pick up objects manually – but this feature seems to be more for fun than convenience. It reminded me of when my engineer roommates attempted to program an old robot vacuum to be a beer delivery robot – it was honestly just faster to get up and get the beer myself.

The robot can’t vacuum and pick up objects at the same time. The engineering team notes that this is due to engineering and battery limitations. However, there is a feature called “follow-up cleaning” that allows the robot to move the object and then clean where it once was.

Lastly, the robot doesn’t engage the arm while performing its vacuuming or mopping routine. Instead, it notes the location of the object and then comes back later to pick it up after it’s done cleaning.

Design and Battery Limitations

The Saros Z70’s design shows promise, and the robotic arm is an exciting innovation. However, the battery limitations and design constraints mean that the robot can’t vacuum and pick up objects at the same time.

The robot can’t engage the arm while performing its vacuuming or mopping routine. This means that users will have to wait for the robot to finish cleaning before it can pick up objects.

The follow-up cleaning feature allows the robot to move the object and then clean where it once was. However, this feature still has limitations, as the robot can only pick up a few objects before needing to return to its charging station.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while the Saros Z70’s robotic arm holds promise, its utility is limited by its current capabilities. The feature is more of a novelty than a practical solution for everyday users.

However, I have to say that it’s exciting to see the progress robot vacuums have made in recent years. With continued innovation, we can expect to see robot vacuums that can truly clean every inch of your floors with little supervision or intervention.

The robotic arm introduced by the Z70 is a significant leap forward, and I’m confident that we’ll see more features like this in the future. I’ll be keeping an eye on how the design improvements evolve in the coming weeks.

The Saros Z70 is set to launch soon, but I wouldn’t recommend buying it at launch. While it’s an exciting feature, its limitations mean that it’s not yet practical for everyday use.