Maps, mops, vacuums

SPICK 'N SPAN: DIRT MEETS ITS MATCH WITH THE DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI

- Arthur Goldstuck

Aside from a few gimmicks that we tend to see at tech expos like IFA in Berlin and CES in Las Vegas, robot vacuums seemed to have reached their peak with a few beeps and the occasional scuffle with a power cable. The new Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni aims to reset that expectation, if not quite rewrite the rulebook.

Its most striking party trick is the TrueMapping navigation system, which confers an almost uncanny ability to remember where it's been and where it needs to go next.

It uses a form of LiDAR-based DToF (Direct Time of Flight) mapping, which is superior to many camera-based systems.

Unlike many competitors' maddening mapping technologies that almost demand design skills, the Deebot device weaves a plannable and predictable path, navigating around obstacles and sidestepping clutter.

That's not to say it is infallible: a wayward sock will still trip it up now and then. But most of the time, it knows your home better than you do.

Of course, navigation alone doesn't earn a robot a place in the cleaning hall of fame.