I saw Roborock's new robot vacuum with legs, and it promises to make no-go zones a thing of the past

• The Roborock Saros Rover is a robot vacuum with long legs that move independently
• The bot can hop, turn quickly, and tackle all kinds of uneven flooring, including stairs
• It's a real product that's still in development, with the prototype being showcased at CES 2026

We've seen a handful number of robot vacuums with 'legs' appear in the past year or so, but Roborock's new Saros Rover makes the likes of the Dreame X50 Ultra look downright stunted, thanks to hinged stilt-like legs that can operate independently.

I've just seen a prototype at CES 2026, and it's quite something to behold. TechRadar's Editor-at-large Lance Ulanoff was treated to a demo yesterday and had this to say:

"In person, the Rover is impressive. It's larger than a traditional robot vacuum, but not so much that it wouldn't fit in your living room. I watched it methodically and carefully approach a staircase and then extend its robot legs and mount the initial step. It can be even turn on a step to cover the full width. I was more surprised at how agile it is on the ground. It can rock, jump and appear almost playful."

What exactly are those legs for? Roborock says the possibilities are almost limitless. While both Dreame and Eufy have stair-climbing bots in the works, they look and operate very differently to the Saros Rover – not least because the stair climbing part is a separate module to the robovac itself.

Roborock says the Saros Rover will be able to tackle not just straight staircases but any kind – including spiral. And unlike other bots on the market, it'll clean each step as it goes, so you won't have to go around with a stick vacuum later.

It'll also be able to tackle uneven or sloped terrain in general, so not just hopping over taller-than-usual room thresholds, but navigating genuinely multi-level homes.

Beyond that, Roborock says the Saros Rover can "imitate human mobility". So it can execute small jumps, stop suddenly, and turn and duck with agility, all while keeping the main body of the robovac level.

I saw a video of two Roborock engineers pelting one with tennis balls as the Rover tried to avoid them. I'm not entirely sure what purpose this will serve – unless we're about to see our first all-robovac dodgeball team – but I am excited to find out.

The version at CES is a prototype, and as Lance notes: "It was clear that it's not finished; engineers appeared to spend a lot of time debugging and getting the routines to work just right" – but Roborock insists it will be a real product, that will make it to market.

I tested last year's arm-equipped Roborock Saros Z70, and I think that might have gone on sale a touch too soon, so I'm pleased to see the brand taking its time with this one. I'll be watching with interest.

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