Latest news with #Romo
The Verge
3 days ago
- The Verge
DJI's first robovac features drone tech and a transparent design
Following the reveal of its first 360-degree action camera a week ago, DJI has announced its first robot vacuum cleaner. The DJI Romo is available in three versions that are mostly differentiated by their appearance — two use transparent shells to reveal their inner workings — but they all borrow technology from the company's drones to detect and avoid obstacles around your home. And like DJI's latest drone, which debuted last May, the DJI Romo lineup won't be available in the US for a while. It's first launching in China at CNY 4,699 (~$654) for the Romo S and A, and CNY 6,799 (~$947) for the fully transparent Romo P. A broader global release is expected later this year, according to DroneDJ, but it's not known if that will include the US, or what international pricing will be. The Romo uses a 'binocular fisheye vision sensor' and three wide-angle laser sensors that DJI says work in tandem with a 'machine learning perception algorithm' to detect, identify, and avoid obstacles like 'ultra-thin cards or charging cables as thin as 2mm.' The robovac also uses different cleaning strategies depending on the type of obstacle it detects. It will attempt to clean as close as possible to wires or furniture legs, but it will give socks or pet urine a wide berth to avoid getting stuck or creating larger messes. The robovac offers up to 25,000Pa of suction power (almost twice the power of the recently announced Roomba Max 705) that works alongside an anti-tangle double roller brush, two sweeping brushes on short robotic arms that can extend their reach, and a pair of spinning mop pads that can raise when transitioning from hard floors to carpeting. If the Romo spots debris like spilled cat food, it can slow its travel and brush speed to avoid blowing smaller particles away while increasing suction to catch it all. All three models come with a docking station that empties, cleans, refills, and charges the robovac in two-and-a-half hours. The Romo S has a completely opaque case, while the Romo A has a transparent panel atop the vacuum itself and the Romo P goes all in on its transparent housing, including a see-through version of the docking station. The transparent design is an unusual feature not seen in other robot vacuums, but perhaps there's a good reason for that. Once the Romo P reaches consumers, we'll see how clean the interior of the bot and docking station look after a few months' use. The pricier Romo P also includes an additional compartment for an alternate mopping solution. You can add an antibacterial cleaner and customize the robot's cleaning plan to only use it on bathroom floors, or opt for a degreaser that's only used in the kitchen. As mentioned above, the robovacs can automatically generate the most efficient cleaning route plans for your home using the path planning algorithms DJI developed for its drones. The routes are stored locally on the robovacs for privacy reasons. All the Romo models can be controlled using voice commands, including specifying what areas of your home need cleaning, and they double as remotely controlled roaming security cameras. You can monitor pets or people in your home using the Romo's cameras, and talk to them in real time. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Andrew Liszewski Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Gadgets Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Robot Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Smart Home Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech
Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Forget Roomba — DJI just swapped drones for robot vacuums with the DJI Romo
The brands behind the best robot vacuums are facing added competition from an unlikely source. DJI, the Chinese company responsible for many of the best drones you can buy, is reportedly launching its first robot vac in China this week. The DJI Robo's August 6 launch date was roundly leaked back in July on X after a leaked photo of the vacuum from behind some glass was posted lasted November. And it looks like the brand's Chinese site has, as anticipated, gone live with all the details. Of course, the big question is whether or not customers in the U.S. or the U.K. will ever actually get a chance to try it. DJI's drones were targeted by bans passed by the US House of Representatives, despite the company itself noting on its official blog that its products are not banned in the U.S. at this time. But even without the ban, the continued uncertainty around high tariff rates likely have the company on the back foot when thinking about launching any new product in the U.S. It's worth pointing out that other top robot vacuum brands like Roborock, Ecovacs, and Dreame are all Chinese and are shipping new products to the U.S. So hopefully we'll see a release date in the future. There's obviously a lot of overlap between drones and robot vacuums when you think about it. Both need reliable cameras and collision-avoidance technology to do their job well. The DJI Romo has a pair of fisheye cameras on the front and a LiDAR system for finding its way around. According to reports, DJI uses AI to generate maps of cleanable surfaces and stores them locally in the vac for privacy. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. There are three models of the Romo: A, S and P. As far as I can tell from the specs sheet, the only real difference seems to be the outward design. The S has an all-white chassis while the P brings a very Nothing-style transparent look while the A has a white vacuum with a transparent base station. All three models have a 25,000 pascal suction power and a 2.4 liter dust bag capacity. Battery life for all three models is stated at three hours with a 2.5-hour charging time. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- South China Morning Post
China's DJI launches first robot cleaner with drone-level obstacle avoidance system
Chinese drone champion DJI has launched its much-awaited vacuum cleaning robot that is equipped with drone-level obstacle avoidance capabilities, in a move that intensifies competition in the country's crowded robot vacuum market. The new Romo series is a combination vacuum cleaner and mopping robot. Equipped with binocular fish-eye vision sensors and three wide-angle lidars, the machine can avoid thin items like playing cards and cables thicker than 2mm, according to a post on DJI's WeChat account on Wednesday. The unit has a battery life of three hours, enabling it to clean an area of roughly 178 square metres (1,916 sq ft) and can be fully charged in 2.5 hours. It can operate in environments of between 0 and 40 degrees Celsius. The cleaner, with a built-in water tank with a capacity of 164 millilitres, can adjust the water volume and automatically add more when encountering excess dirt. The mop will automatically lift when it encounters a carpet. Users can connect to the cleaner remotely using a phone, which allows them to see what's happening, like a security camera function, as well being able to talk to family members at home. DJI's robot cleaner Romo can avoid thin items like playing cards. Photo: Handout The new product comes in three models, with the most expensive Romo P featuring a see-through outer shell for the cleaner and dock, while the cheapest Romo S has a white cover for both.
Android Authority
4 days ago
- Android Authority
DJI goes from drones to dust with launch of new robot vacuum
DJI TL;DR Drone-maker DJI has entered into a new category with the launch of its robot vacuum lineup. The DJI Romo uses two panoramic cameras along with three lasers to scan for objects while it is cleaning. There are three models, including a transparent Romo P, which looks like something Nothing would design. DJI is a popular name when it comes to drones, video stabilization rigs, and action cameras. But the company recently entered into an entirely new category outside its forte of imaging, i.e., robot vacuum cleaners. Earlier this week, DJI announced its first series in the category, called 'Romo,' with claims about visual precision inspired by its drones. On the front, the DJI Romo deploys two fisheye cameras for a panoramic view, along with the laser-directed vision system in traditional robovacs. The three self-developed laser modules, along with the binocular vision, ensure objects as thin as 2mm, such as a cord dangling from a table, are not missed. DJI says it uses AI to generate maps of the available surfaces, and the data is stored locally for privacy. The Romo comes with an 'extra-large' suction duct with a 25,000 pascals pressure with mechanical arms and scrub pads that can extend out to clean between tight spaces. Although suction pressure isn't a reliable metric for a robovac's performance, we often hear brands aim for higher numbers simply for bragging rights. Meanwhile, DJI doesn't make explicit claims about the area (in square feet or square meters) it can clean over a period of time. DJI DJI offers the Romo in three models: A, S, and P, where P gets a transparent chassis and base station that immediately reminds me of the transparent designs by the phone and audio brand Nothing. Meanwhile, the S gets an all-white body while the A gets a white vacuum with a transparent base station. Like other robovacs, it also comes with a wet mopping feature, and holds up to 164ml of cleaning fluid mix. The homing station comes with two separate containers for cleaning agents for different purposes. DJI says the Romo uses its visual perception to distinguish between different rooms and use liquids of varying strength — or, therefore, toxicity — based on that. However, unlike Dreame, the Romo cannot climb stairs or over high door sills and lacks any additional features like the extendable sock-picking arm from Soros Z70. With the vacuum, DJI focuses on low-noise operations, and claims the design with three levels of noise filtering reduces the hum from suction and rotating blades by up to 80%. It offers self-cleaning features and sends you alerts via the DJI Home companion app to let you know when the water or the dust collection bags need replacement. DJI Although the Romo is currently limited to China, DJI shared its plans about bringing it to global markets later this year with DroneDJ. As for its price, the DJI Romo starts at CNY 4,699 (~$650) for the S variant, while the fully see-through P variant is available for CNY 6,799 (~$950), which is in the same ballpark as other traditional players from brands like iRobot, the maker of Roomba. However, if it is released in the US, we could expect a jacked-up price owing to shipping costs, customs, and other variables. Follow
Los Angeles Times
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Huntington Beach Fourth of July Bike Cruise returns, after the fireworks this year
Ed Romo did not start the Huntington Beach Fourth of July Bike Cruise for money or fame. He's most proud of the event, which launches into its sixth year on Saturday morning, because of people like Michelle Marie West. He connected with West on social media as she wanted to help him with some sponsors for the event. After a bit of conversation, he found out that her father was a veteran of the armed forces who had just passed away. Now he wants to give West a medal, lei and wristband for a free lunch at Bruno's Sports Bar & Grille downtown to honor her father, the same things given to all of the other veterans who come to the bike cruise. Romo told her story to another veteran, Mickey Rat, a surfer whose real name is Mike Ester. Rat responded that he wants West to ride with him in the front car for the event, a cherry red 1947 Ford convertible. 'She just felt so honored and feels like she's doing so much for her father now,' Romo said. 'She's representing him. I just felt really good about that, and I can't wait for her to be there and get in there. 'It just all comes down to love. The love that you feel for the community and that people have for each other is incredible, and that's why this thing got so big. Nobody's making any money on this thing, it's just all for us.' The free ride, emceed by Mel Craig, has certainly grown in popularity, with around 20,000 bike riders participating in it last year. It is typically held the Saturday before the Fourth of July, but with the holiday on a Friday this year, it will be the day after. Riders are encouraged to bring a decorated bike and a warm spirit. The cruise begins at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Main Street and Yorktown Avenue, though riders are encouraged to arrive earlier. It ends at Main and Walnut Avenue. Romo has lined up six bands that will lead into the city's Main Street Block Party from noon to 7 p.m., which will feature entertainment including Redneck Rodeo and the Ramsey Brothers. There will also be free face painting for kids this year, done by a group including local artist Melissa Murals. 'I want everybody to be as one, loving our country,' said Romo, whose two adult daughters, Cassidy and Cayla, lead the ride with two big American flags. 'This is the one day, for a couple of hours, where everybody can just love our country as one and love each other as one. No color, no race, no anything. For a couple of hours, let's just grab our kids and everybody feels that love.' Huntington Beach resident Tina Toulouse, with help from fellow local Diana Sullivan, makes the leis for veterans each year. Toulouse, whose first husband was a U.S. Marine, will be presenting the leis to the veterans herself this year along with Sullivan, the mother of an active Marine. She said they will be made of ti leaves, with purple orchids added to represent courage and bravery. 'Everybody says Huntington Beach is Surf City and everything, but this is not about surfing,' Toulouse said. 'This is about all of the people who live here, and we get to have almost a small-town expression but it's so big. Everybody knows Surf City the world over, but yet here we are doing this small-town thing. There's just so much love and fun and community and friends. It's great, and it's growing and growing.' For more information or updates on the Huntington Beach Fourth of July Bicycle Cruise, visit
