DJI's Romo 2 Brings Drone Smarts and a Robotic Arm to Robot Vacuums
The drone maker's second robot vacuum spots obstacles as small as 2mm, reaches deeper under furniture and adds a privacy mode that cuts it off from the internet.
DJI spent two decades teaching drones not to crash into things. It turns out that is also exactly what you want from a robot vacuum. The company's second-generation Romo 2, launched at IFA in Berlin, leans hard on that experience.
Seeing the small stuff
The Romo 2 uses DJI's drone-derived spatial sensing to detect obstacles as small as 2mm, which should mean fewer swallowed charging cables and stray socks. A floor light reveals dust as it cleans, and it can climb single steps up to 4cm and double steps up to 8.5cm, handy for older homes with uneven thresholds.
A mop that reaches
The standout hardware is a LiDAR-guided robotic arm with a 123-degree swing. DJI says it reaches 7.8cm wider and mops 4.5cm deeper under furniture than the previous model, getting into the edges and corners robot vacuums usually miss. Suction is rated at 36,000Pa on carpet, with dual-tuft side brushes designed to resist tangled hair.
Low maintenance, more privacy
The self-cleaning dock uses a nanocrystalline washboard and four pressure water jets, and DJI claims up to 365 days of maintenance-free operation. On privacy, a Local Data Mode arriving later this year disconnects the vacuum from the internet entirely, and the camera and microphone can be switched off.
Price and availability in Australia
- RRP: $2,899
- Launch offer: $500 off, making it $2,399, until 30 September
- Where: DJI's Australian store and retailers including JB Hi-Fi
It is a premium price, but if the early-bird offer appeals, the window is closing fast.
Source: The AU Review. Image courtesy of DJI.
