iRobot unveils the Roomba Duo
iRobot unveils the Roomba Duo

The original robot vacuum company showed off a concept robot at the IFA tech show in Berlin today. The Roomba Duo combines a heavy-duty floor-washing machine with a smaller, slimmer Roomba. The two floor cleaners can move around your home together, with the main unit mopping and sweeping larger floor areas and the smaller unit […]

DJI’s new robovac can climb obstacles, vacuum quietly, and claims much improved privacy
DJI’s new robovac can climb obstacles, vacuum quietly, and claims much improved privacy

DJI has announced a second generation of its Romo robovac. The Romo 2 series is quieter, more powerful, and better at climbing over small steps and other obstacles. But more importantly for DJI, a new local-only data mode should go some way to reassuring anyone concerned by the first Romo’s serious security flaws. There are […]

These new robot lawnmowers trim your edges
These new robot lawnmowers trim your edges

Anker’s new robot lawnmower might take over for your weedwacker, too. Announced at IFA 2026, the Eufy Robot Lawn Mower S2 Max comes with an extendable trimming arm to clean up the grass around your driveway and flowerbeds. The dual-blade mower offers vSLAM navigation that uses built-in cameras to build a 3D map of your […]

The best tech and gadgets announced at IFA so far
The best tech and gadgets announced at IFA so far

The doors to Europe’s largest consumer tech show officially opened to the public today following a week of news coming out of IFA 2026 in Berlin, Germany. If you’re struggling to keep up with what has been announced, here are some of the best new gadgets and upgrades from the show – including a smartphone […]

The robot butler dream doesn’t have legs
The robot butler dream doesn’t have legs

The idea of humanoid robots running our homes has been the stuff of science fiction for years. But unlike hoverboards and self-tying sneakers, a robot housekeeper has never felt close to rolling into our homes. Until now. This has been the year of the humanoid robot. At CES, there were dozens of human-shaped bots on […]

This new Roomba seals itself to your carpet
This new Roomba seals itself to your carpet

iRobot has announced a new flagship robot vacuum, which it will showcase at IFA in Berlin this week, the company’s first big tech trade show in years. The Roomba maker will be exhibiting under its new owner, Picea Robotics, the contract manufacturer that purchased the once-troubled American robotics company out of bankruptcy in January. The […]

China’s robots race ahead
China’s robots race ahead

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on falling robots and the US-China AI race, follow Robert Hart. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes on Sunday at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started I’ve admitted my fondness for […]

Hugging Face’s new robot is an adorable rollerskating duck
Hugging Face’s new robot is an adorable rollerskating duck

Hugging Face’s Pollen Robotics has launched its second cute AI robot, the Microduck, a one-eyed biped standing just under 10 inches tall. It’s available to preorder now for $399 in cream, graphite, lavender, and sky blue, and Pollen Robotics says it plans to start shipping the little robot “before Christmas 2026.” Video demos of the […]

Humanoid robots smash Usain Bolt’s 100-meter record
Humanoid robots smash Usain Bolt’s 100-meter record

The 9.58-second 100-meter dash record set by Usain Bolt in 2009 has been outpaced by Chinese robots participating at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. In a preliminary heat on Saturday, Tiangong Ultra, made by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation ​Center, ran the distance in 9.39 seconds, followed by the Honor-developed Lightning at 9.47 […]

This robot vacuum solves my kitchen stool problem
This robot vacuum solves my kitchen stool problem

Robot vacuums are great at keeping your floors clean, but there are a few areas they fall down on the job – stairs being one. Another is chairs and stools. You know the scenario: You have a row of stools at a kitchen table, or chairs tucked under a dining table, and the robovac just […]