It’s all to play for at CES 2024, but I haven’t seen anything quite like a robot window cleaner before.
I’m a confessed fan of robot vacuums and mops, especially the best robot vacuums, and the more cleaning tasks they can clean, the better. And I literally saw one climbing up a window.
The cleaner I'm referring to here is the ECOVACS' WINBOT W2 OMNI, which was unveiled at the annual consumer electronics show. While it isn’t the first by the brand (that was in 2018), it is certainly the first time I have seen something like it. The innovation is introducing us all to hands-free cleaning beyond just vacuum cleaning and mopping. It's an advanced, intelligent navigation system that reaches the heights that you and I would struggle to reach when balancing on a ladder. The aim? To leave the windows squeaky clean. Simple.
ECOVACS' WINBOT W2 OMNI: the facts
A robot window cleaner works by suctioning onto the windows, evenly spraying water or detergent to clean them, and then moving in a way that avoids drippage, wiping away residue.
The W2 OMNI utilizes an intelligent navigation system, WIN-SLAM 3.0, that ensures a consistent edge-to-edge clean and allows seamless movement around obstacles. It has an exclusive three-nozzle angle spray technology that dissolves dirt and evenly covers windows without the drippage.
What I noticed the most about the W2 OMNI is the box-like suitcase design holding onto the glass of the window with seemingly no effort at all. Its steady climbing system features a three-point anti-slip, anti-dust driving tread, which keeps the robot on track to maintain a steady rolling across windows. It was mesmerizing to watch.
The built-in battery can be unplugged for indoor or outdoor use, but it's still not 100% cordless. You will still need to have the battery pack hooked up to the W2 OMNI. When I caught up with the ECOVACS team, it was disclosed that going cordless could be a consideration for any upgrade, but we'll see.
It's not yet available to buy, and I wasn't entirely clear about where it could be bought from at the time of launch. Going by the list price of $399.99 and availability on Amazon for the original ECOVACS WINBOT and ECOVACS Winbot W1 Pro Window Cleaning Robot, I imagine it'll be within this ballpark. I'm looking forward to getting more hands-on with it when it is released out into the wild.
