What are the innovations in the technology and chip solutions of sweeping robots?

According to the report released by Enthusiasts.com (Text/Li Wanwan), in the second quarter of 2024, the global floor sweeping robot shipments reached 5.117 million units, a year-on-year increase of 15.7%. It is expected that the global floor sweeping robot shipments will reach 10.25 million units in the second half of the year, and the annual year-on-year increase is expected to be 7.5%. The floor sweeping robot market continues to maintain a growth trend.

From the perspective of technology and upgrade trends, the focus of product performance competition will be on solving the ultra-thin body, bottom lifting height, obstacle crossing height, etc. required to solve the cleaning blind spot. At the same time, in response to the problem of hair entanglement, differentiated product upgrades will continue to be carried out in terms of roller brush anti-entanglement technology and high suction.

Floor sweeping robot technology innovation

Let's take a look at the continuous technological innovation of floor sweeping robots in recent years. First of all, it is the upgrade of navigation technology. Floor sweeping robots use laser radar and visual sensors to build home environment maps and update maps in real time to achieve accurate navigation and obstacle avoidance. These sensors can accurately measure distances, identify obstacles such as furniture and walls, and ensure that robots can operate stably in complex environments.

In addition to laser radar and visual sensors, sweeping robots also integrate multiple sensors such as line sensors, ultrasonic sensors, and anti-collision sensors. Through multi-sensor fusion technology, they can perceive the surrounding environment in all directions and improve cleaning efficiency and safety.

The second is the innovation of efficient dust collection and cleaning technology. The dust collection system is one of the core components of the sweeping robot. By optimizing the motor, dust collection port design, and dust box capacity, the sweeping robot can achieve a more efficient dust collection effect. At the same time, some sweeping robots are also equipped with automatic mop cleaning and sewage recovery systems to further improve the cleaning effect.

In order to solve the problem of hair entanglement, the sweeping robot adopts a double roller brush design and combines anti-entanglement technology such as comb tooth structure to effectively reduce hair entanglement and improve cleaning efficiency.

The next is the breakthrough in autonomous obstacle crossing technology. Some sweeping robots use bionic bipedal high obstacle crossing technology to achieve high obstacle crossing capabilities through a double-section swing arm system and a wheel hub system. This technology enables the sweeping robot to easily cross obstacles such as thresholds and steps, improving cleaning coverage and efficiency.

There is also intelligent path planning and optimization. The sweeping robot plans the most efficient cleaning path through an intelligent algorithm to ensure higher ground coverage. At the same time, the robot will automatically adjust the cleaning strategy according to the cleaning progress and battery power to ensure that the cleaning task is completed before the battery runs out.

Some sweeping robots are also equipped with intelligent interactive systems, and users can remotely control the sweeping robots through voice or APP to achieve intelligent operation. At the same time, the robot can also be personalized and optimized according to the user's cleaning habits and home environment.

"AI cleaning" generated by the combination of AI big model and intelligent cleaning is also the current mainstream focus. As early as last year, Ecovacs, a giant company in China's sweeping robots, launched its first big model-AINA big model, which was used on the product DEEBOT X2 (DEEBOT X2), making X2 have strong learning ability. At AWE 2024 this year, another giant company Yunjing also launched the NarGPT big model. The combination of AI big model and intelligent cleaning is an unstoppable trend.

Sweeping robot solution

Sweeping robots need to use multiple types of chips to work together. Among them, the main control chip (/SOC) is the "brain" of the sweeping robot, responsible for controlling the overall operation and intelligent decision-making of the robot. It receives data from sensors, processes and analyzes the data, and then outputs corresponding control instructions to control the movement and behavior of the robot.

The common chip type is 32-bit MCU, and some use more integrated SOC or AI chips. There are multiple suppliers at home and abroad that provide main control chips. Domestic suppliers include,,,, Yiwei Semiconductor, etc., and foreign suppliers include,,, NXP, etc.

For example, the Stone T6 uses STMicroelectronics' F1 series MCU, while the Yunmi sweeping and mopping robot 3C uses GigaDevice's F103VCT6 series MCU. Dreame Technology's high-end product Dreame X40 Ultra is equipped with Allwinner Technology's SoC chip MR813. Rockchip's RK3308, RK3326, RV1108, etc. are also mass-produced in a variety of sweeping robots. Yiwei Semiconductor previously launched a high-performance and highly integrated SOC AM380S. At present, many first-line brands have launched sweeping robot solutions with gyroscopes based on this chip.

In addition to the main control chip, the sweeping robot also needs chips, WiFi chips, storage chips and other chips to work together. For example, the management chip is responsible for monitoring and protecting the power supply of the sweeping robot to prevent overcharging, over-discharging, over-current and other problems, and ensure the normal operation of the robot. At the same time, it can also control the power supply for energy saving, make real-time adjustments and optimizations according to the robot's operating status and environmental changes, and extend the battery life.

The WiFi chip is mainly used to connect the sweeping robot with mobile phones or other smart devices, allowing users to remotely control and monitor. Through the built-in WiFi module, the sweeping robot can receive control instructions from the mobile phone and send data such as operating status, power information, and fault records to the mobile phone.

The storage chip is used to record the running trajectory, cleaning path, power information, fault records and other data of the sweeping robot for subsequent analysis and optimization. At the same time, it also stores the robot's control program and algorithm to ensure the normal operation of the robot.

In recent years, sweeping robots have also continued to innovate in chip solutions to improve positioning accuracy, enhance environmental perception capabilities, optimize path planning algorithms, and achieve a smarter interactive experience.

For example, some sweeping robots are equipped with UWB chip modules, which enable them to achieve precise positioning and real-time tracking through interaction with specific devices carried by the owner (such as or smart watches). This technology not only improves the positioning accuracy of sweeping robots, but also enhances their environmental adaptability and real-time interaction capabilities. For example, sweeping robots can accurately sense the changes in the owner's position, achieve intelligent following, and build accurate environmental maps in complex environments, providing strong support for subsequent cleaning path planning.

For another example, many sweeping robots can achieve more accurate obstacle recognition, smarter path planning, and more efficient cleaning strategies through the support of high-performance AI processing engines. For example, it can identify and avoid obstacles such as furniture and pets in the home, and automatically adjust the cleaning strategy according to the user's daily habits and home layout, and provide personalized cleaning solutions.

Written at the end

It can be seen that the sweeping robot industry is undergoing rapid technological innovation, such as combining with large models to make sweeping robots more intelligent. Some have introduced bionic robotic arm technology to solve problems such as corner cleaning and low space cleaning. The double roller brush design is combined with anti-entanglement technology, such as comb tooth structure, to reduce hair entanglement. The continuous innovation of technology will drive the robot vacuum cleaner industry forward.