Home robots
Home robots: what’s real and what’s still a demo
We track 11 household chores across 4 kinds of robots. 5 of those chores have a robot you can buy today; the rest are announced, in demos, or still a wish. Every answer links to the sources behind it.
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Every chore, most ready first
- Question · Robot vacuums
Can a robot vacuum get over high door thresholds?
Yes, for steps of a few centimeters. The Dreame X50 Ultra lifts itself over raised thresholds, though it won't climb a staircase.
2 sourcesChecked - Question · Robot vacuums
Can a robot vacuum avoid pet poop?
Yes. iRobot guarantees the Roomba j7+ will avoid solid pet waste, or it replaces the robot within the first year.
2 sourcesChecked - Question · Lawn & pool
Can a robot mower work without a boundary wire?
Yes. Satellite-guided mowers such as Husqvarna's EPOS models mow inside virtual boundaries with no buried wire.
2 sourcesChecked - Question · Window cleaning
Can a robot clean your windows?
Yes, on flat glass. Suction-held window robots like the Ecovacs Winbot W2 Pro Omni clean windows, mirrors and shower doors.
1 sourceChecked - Question · Lawn & pool
Can a cordless robot clean a pool's walls and waterline?
Yes. Cordless pool robots like the Beatbot AquaSense 2 climb walls and scrub the waterline.
2 sourcesChecked - Question · Robot vacuums
Can a robot vacuum clean stairs yet?
Not one you can buy. Roborock showed a stair-climbing prototype at CES 2026, but it has no release date.
3 sourcesChecked - Question · Humanoids & helpers
Can a home robot tidy up and fetch things?
Announced, not delivered. 1X says NEO will fetch items and tidy from day one, with deliveries promised in 2026.
3 sourcesChecked - Question · Humanoids & helpers
Can a home robot fold laundry?
Only in demos. Figure showed a humanoid folding towels on its own, and 1X lists laundry for NEO, but with a remote human guiding it.
4 sourcesChecked - Question · Humanoids & helpers
Can a robot load the washing machine?
In a company video, yes. Figure 03 loads a washer and presses its buttons, but it isn't for sale.
1 sourceChecked - Question · Humanoids & helpers
Can a home robot wash the dishes?
Only in a demo. Figure 03 is shown washing dishes at a sink and loading a rack.
1 sourceChecked - Question · Robot vacuums
Can a robot vacuum pick up socks and clutter off the floor?
Sort of. The Roborock Saros Z70 has an arm and is on sale, but in a hands-on test it worked only about half the time.
2 sourcesChecked
Start with your problem
- My home has stairsRobot vacuums stop at the top step. Here's what can get past steps and between floors today, and what's still a prototype.
- I have a dog or catA robot that runs over a pet accident spreads it everywhere. Here's what's built to avoid it.
- The floor is always covered in stuffSocks, toys and cables stop a robot vacuum. Here's what can pick things up, and how well it really works.
- I don't want to mow the lawnRobot mowers used to need a buried wire. Here's what mows without one.
- Laundry eats my eveningsThe chore everyone wants a robot for. Here's how close it really is.
- The dishes keep piling upBeyond the dishwasher: can a robot wash up yet?
- My windows are always dirtyBig or high windows take ages. Here's what can do the glass for you.
- Keeping the pool clean is a choreThe waterline ring is the worst part. Here's what scrubs it without a cord.
What our labels mean
- You can buy it today, and it does what we say.
- Officially announced, not shipping yet.
- Shown in demos or tests. Not something you can rely on yet.
- An idea or rendering. No product yet.
- People want it. Nobody has built it.