The staircase has long been a challenge for robot vacuum cleaners, which typically struggle with the uneven terrain and sharp angles. For those living in two-level homes, this often means buying a separate robot for each floor, manually carrying the device, or using a broom for the stairs. The robot vacuum market is now mature, with brands like Roborock leading the way, according to market research firm IDC. Growth has slowed, and manufacturers are now competing to offer unique features that justify higher prices. In 2025, Roborock introduced the Saros Z70, which featured an extendable arm. But by 2026, the focus shifted to solving the staircase problem, with two Chinese companies—Roborock and Dreame—developing distinct mechanical solutions at the same time. Roborock’s Saros Rover uses two “leg-wheel” modules, each capable of lifting, lowering, and extending independently. The robot balances on its two wheels, much like a self-balancing scooter, and can cross a 10 cm obstacle in one step. It climbs both straight and curved staircases step by step while vacuuming. However, it only offers suction power of 19,000 Pa and does not include a mopping function. In contrast, a different model, the Saros 20 Flow, showcased at the same event, has 36,000 Pa of suction and a mopping roll. Roborock has not provided further details beyond what was revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. Discussions about a price of around $3,000 (approximately 2,750 euros, tax-exempt) have been circulating, but no official confirmation has been given. Dreame took a different mechanical approach with the Cyber X, which uses two pairs of articulated caterpillars, referred to by the company as Bionic QuadTrack. These caterpillars extend to climb stairs up to 25 cm in height, whether straight or curved. Unlike the Saros Rover, the Cyber X is not a prototype anymore. During an event in France in spring 2026, Dreame announced a price of 1,199 euros and a planned launch for September 2026. However, this price only covers the climbing module, which requires a compatible vacuum cleaner from the X60 Pro series, sold separately. For multi-story homes, Dreame added small brush arms that extend from the back to clean steps on the way down, a feature it claims is only necessary for homes with three or more floors. Unlike the Saros Rover, the Cyber X uses a cart-like mechanism, which is heavier and slower but doesn’t rely on dynamic balance. Both the Saros Rover and the Cyber X are currently prototypes demonstrated on a staircase, not tested in real-world conditions like navigating a hallway carpet with a cat nearby. Eufy had previously introduced a different solution at IFA 2025 with the MarsWalker, a caterpillar platform that transports a standard robot between floors without cleaning the steps. Mova, a sister brand of Dreame, also has its own model, the Zeus 60. Despite four different approaches emerging in just one year, none of these robots were available for sale when Roborock unveiled its own staircase-climbing robot in Berlin. While Roborock and Dreame have successfully tackled the mechanical challenge of climbing stairs, the practicality of these robots remains uncertain. A typical staircase has 14 to 15 steps, and a robot that climbs, stabilizes, and vacuums each step could take several minutes per step—resulting in a half-hour to an hour of cleaning time, compared to just five minutes for a human with a handheld vacuum. While a robot could work while the user is away, it changes the value proposition: should a robot clean the entire house, including the stairs, or just clean up to the second floor and return? Another concern is safety: a robot weighing four or five kilograms that falls from the second floor could cause real damage. While both companies have achieved a significant engineering breakthrough, the commercial viability of these robots remains to be seen, as neither has fully addressed the time and safety challenges yet.