iRobot shows Roomba Duo concept at IFA

iRobot rolled a concept robot onto the IFA floor in Berlin on September 4 that looks less like a living-room gadget and more like a hotel maid on wheels. There is no price and no ship date.

The Roomba Duo is a heavy-duty floor-washing base with a smaller Roomba Plus 757 riding on top. A mechanical arm lowers the little vacuum when it needs to get under tables and into corners. The main unit is also an autonomous mobile dock, with clean and dirty water tanks and a dust bag on board. It maps with lidar and cameras.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy's Verge hands-on is a booth report, not a shipping announcement. She was not allowed to touch the unit or look inside. Two people had to carry it between demos.

The spec most booth write-ups skipped is mop force. The steam mop uses a large roller with 46 newtons of downward pressure. iRobot's Adam Pope called the main vacuum the most powerful the company has made. Tuohy watched a demo suck pasta off a carpet, then wash the carpet.

New CEO Hao Li, from parent Picea, presented it. Picea bought iRobot out of bankruptcy earlier this year. His line was, "The future of floor care has a familiar name."

Tuohy wrote that it feels closer to a hotel or mall cleaner than a home fit. Pope said the company will take IFA feedback as development continues.

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