DJI’s next trick could be a surprise robot vacuum cleaner – and no, it won’t fly up, unfortunately
- A leaked image suggests that DJI may be planning to launch a robot vacuum cleaner
- It could be called the DJI Romo and combine a vacuum cleaner and a mop
- It’s still early for rumors, but DJI has been entering new markets lately
From e-bikes to power stations, DJI has broken new ground this year – and according to new rumors, the company could soon make a particularly surprising leap into robot vacuum cleaners.
This is evident from a leaked image of @JasperEllens (retrieved by DroneNR And Notebook control) the so-called DJI Romo vacuum apparently exists, at least in prototype form.
Whether the Romo will actually make it into production remains to be seen, but given DJI’s recent track record of making the best drones, it certainly wouldn’t be a huge leap. On paper, a robot vacuum cleaner would also combine much of its existing technology.
DJI currently makes robots like the RoboMaster S1, drones with advanced obstacle avoidance systems like the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, and cameras with advanced Lidar-based autofocus like the DJI Ronin 4D. The only thing really missing from the technology mix is the cleaning powers of the best robot vacuums.
I can’t stop laughing.@DJIGlobal created the #DJIROMO. The vacuum cleaner they registered a year ago. What will it do? Fly up the stairs? And the key question: does this come with LiDAR? That’s it guys, I’m out… hahahaha pic.twitter.com/9BcvJjQscCNovember 1, 2024
Since this is the only leak we’ve seen so far, the DJI Romo remains highly speculative, but it looks like we can expect a combination robot vacuum and mop with features like individual room control and pet detection.
The only thing we’re pretty sure we can rule out is a flying robot vacuum cleaner with propellers (which the leaked image seems to support). Unless DJI quietly absorbed some of the team behind the insane Ring Always Home Cam (below), a flying security camera that never saw the light of day.
Why a robot vacuum cleaner?
DJI has never been shy about entering new markets and disrupting them with its consistently impressive technology – and while the DJI Romo may ultimately be one of its wild prototypes, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see DJI launch a robot vacuum cleaner in 2025 .
The move to diversify the product range appears to coincide with increasing criticism from US regulators of flying cameras and the perceived safety risks they pose.
A full DJI ban thankfully never materialized, but the rumblings seem likely to continue under the new Trump administration into 2025 – meaning we can expect the company to expand beyond its Avinox Drive System for e-mail next year bikes.
Disrupting the robot vacuum cleaner market may also seem more attractive, as Amazon’s acquisition of iRobot fell into the dust earlier this year, meaning there is no clear dominant player. Our best robot vacuum guide includes a wide mix of brands, from Ecovacs to Narwal (pictured at the top of this page).
Another rumor much closer to DJI’s home base is that it could soon conquer the world of best 360 cameras with a rival to Insta360 and GoPro. That’s just one of many rumored DJI launches we’ve seen recently, which also include an Osmo Mobile 7 phone gimbal, a Mavic 4 drone and a Mic Mini microphone – now likely to launch on November 26, according to DJI’s own teaser.
That’s quite a name for new technology – and who knows, it might be crowned in 2025 by a new rival to the likes of Eufy, iRobot, Narwal and Roborock.