After previewing its newest robotic invention earlier this month, SwitchBot formally launched the S10 robotic vacuum and mop at IFA 2023 in Berlin final week. The $1,199.99 bot, coming to Kickstarter in October, options an computerized water refill station that does away with the cumbersome water tanks housed in big auto-empty docks which have develop into the hallmark of top-of-the-line flooring cleaners from Roborock, Ecovacs, and so forth.

In contrast to these fashions that clear and dry their soiled mops in a small “sink” within the dock, the SwitchBot S10 has an inside curler brush mop that it cleans utilizing a squeegee technique because it vacuums. This implies no standing water or scuzzy mop left to get smelly.

Anybody who owns a robotic vacuum will let you know they aren’t completely hands-free. You want to clear and keep them, and these new big multi-purpose docks that wash the robotic’s mops can get actually grungy. After just a few months of use, you must get down in your knees and scrub the dock with a little bit brush in the event you don’t need it to scent like a sewer. There’s no enjoyable in that.

SwitchBot says its S10 solves this downside by successfully holding all of the water and mess out of sight (and scent).

At $1,200 MSRP, the S10 is round $400 cheaper than rivals’ comparable choices, however it’s the corporate’s first foray into robotic vacuum cleaners. With 6,500pa suction energy, lidar navigation, and AI-powered impediment avoidance, it has the hallmarks of a top-of-the-line bot, however will it ship?

I acquired a take a look at the S10 in motion on the present flooring in Berlin. Essentially the most acquainted half is the auto-empty dock, which prices the robotic and empties the bin. It’s compact and appears like a lot of the auto-empty bases that don’t additionally cram in water tanks for mopping. The principle distinction is 2 little dryer vents that sit on the dock’s base and blast sizzling air on the S10’s mop when charging.

SwitchBot has a separate water station as an alternative of these massive water tanks. This compact battery-powered pump delivers water out of your pipes into the robotic and drains soiled water into your sewer. The station solely makes use of a small quantity of battery to energy the pump and is able to being reverse-charged by the robotic.

Sean Tan of SwitchBot confirmed me a demo of the S10 sucking up oatmeal after which depositing it into its auto-empty bin. It then used the separate water station to fill itself up and drain the water out after the mop was soiled.

The refill course of — utilizing a pair of water bottles standing in for the dearth of plumbing on a commerce present flooring — was easy and fast. After including some coloured liquid to the detachable mop to simulate grime, the robotic spun its motor, cleaned the mop, and drained the soiled water right into a second bottle.

The mop itself is plush and spongey, however there’s a restricted quantity of floor space touching the ground and no oscillating motion, so I’m skeptical about how efficient it is going to be at scrubbing the ground.

The robotic itself can be large and really heavy. It felt round twice as heavy and doubtless half as massive once more as one thing just like the Roomba j7 Plus, so could also be awkward to choose up and transfer round. That weight is essentially as a result of massive battery the bot has on board, which SwitchBot plans to make use of to assist facilitate the S10 refilling a brand new humidifier and, sooner or later, drain a dehumidifier the corporate is engaged on.

The potential for a roving robotic with a giant battery and water on board to assist round the home is kind of intriguing. However the firm must get the S10 out the door first; it is releasing the vacuum on Kickstarter on October thirteenth. I’ll check it out and have a full evaluate within the coming months.

Photographs and video by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge