SINGAPORE, Aug. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ECOVACS ROBOTICS, a leader in smart cleaning robots, has today announced a new artificial intelligence (AI) innovation that enables its floor cleaning robots to recognise and avoid objects and obstacles, in addition to its current ability to map spatial environments.
Unveiled in Berlin at IFA 2018, the world's leading trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances, the ECOVACS AIVI (Artificial Intelligence and Visual Interpretation) is the company's latest innovation in floor cleaning robotics. This first-of-its-kind AI-enabled function, gives ECOVACS floor cleaning robots the ability to perform real-time recognition, to recognise and avoid household items, such as cables, shoes, slippers, dustbins, doorsills and rugs, that typically obstruct the path of conventional floor cleaning robots or vacuum cleaners.
"ECOVACS ROBOTICS continues to bring the idea of 'Live Smart, Enjoy Life' to the next level by incorporating AI into home cleaning," said David Qian, Deputy Chairman of the Board and President of International Business Unit of ECOVACS ROBOTICS. "We expect the ECOVACS AIVI AI innovation to set a new standard for floor cleaning robotics, allowing consumers to live smarter and enjoy life better by spending less time on cleaning."
AI Innovation to Set a New Standard in Household Cleaning Robotics
The new ECOVACS AIVI AI feature, when paired with ECOVACS Smart Navi™ smart mapping and spatial recognition technology, enables its floor cleaning robots to achieve a more efficient and customised clean. Users can now simply sit back and let the robot do the job, without having to clear a path for the robot.
As part of ECOVACS' commitment to protecting customer data and privacy, the AI technology maps the robot's surroundings, foreign objects, and preinstalled items to recognise obstacles, without recording or sharing any images with ECOVACS or third parties. AIVI can also work offline by referring to pre-installed data to recognise selected objects. Unless users choose to "opt-in", AIVI does not record any images/videos.
If users choose to "opt-in", data masking will be performed to hide or obfuscate sensitive data. The data will also be limited to specific ECOVACS employees on a need-to-know basis. This data will in turn aid the company continue to design, test and improve its AI technology based on robust research and training data.
At IFA 2018, in addition to the new AIVI AI feature, ECOVACS also showcased its enhanced DEEBOT series, and the first-of-its-kind WINBOT X, with demonstrations of the robots performing in real-life environments.
Advanced Technologies to Meet Different Cleaning Needs
One of ECOVACS' most important innovations is its Smart Navi™ mapping and navigation technology, which can safely scan, map, and plan an efficient cleaning path, providing a thorough and systematic clean. With Smart Navi™, users can see how the cleaning task has been completed with a visual map. Smart Navi™ is available on both the DEEBOT 900 and DEEBOT 710. In addition, the DEEBOT 710 features an upgraded Max Mode that increases suction power by up to two times to tackle particularly stubborn dirt.
In addition to Smart Navi™, the ECOVACS' OZMO™ mopping technology in the DEEBOT OZMO 930 and DEEBOT OZMO SLIM delivers both vacuum and mopping capabilities, allowing the DEEBOTs to effectively deal with dry and wet mess while controlling the speed of water flow for smooth mopping. The DEEBOT OZMO SLIM can also adapt to different home environments to easily fit under furniture and clean hard-to-reach areas, thus providing even more efficient cleaning.
"ECOVACS's DEEBOT series is designed for a range of floor types and cleaning tasks," said Jonathan Tang, Vice President of Global Channels of ECOVACS ROBOTICS. "We have introduced our signature floor cleaning technologies to more of our robots, upgraded their smart home capabilities and boosted their suction power."
With the ECOVACS App, users can control their DEEBOTs anytime, anywhere, to set cleaning schedules, select cleaning modes, monitor the cleaning process and more. The DEEBOTS are compatible with both Google Home and Amazon Echo, which makes floor cleaning as easy as tapping on a smartphone via the ECOVACS App or using voice control for a completely easy and convenient Smart Home experience.
First-of-its-kind WINBOT X for an Optimal Window Cleaning Experience
Besides floor cleaning robots, ECOVACS also showcased its latest award-winning window cleaning robot. A proud honoree of both the 2018 CES Innovation Award and the Red Dot Award 2018, WINBOT X is the first-of-its-kind cordless window cleaning robot developed by ECOVACS. The WINBOT X offers a breakthrough in window cleaning with its cordless power source design, Deep Clean Mode and Four-Stage Cleaning System, and an innovative Safety Tether System. The WINBOT X is adaptable to diverse types of windows while moving around intelligently, freely and safely to reach higher areas with maximum coverage.
About ECOVACS ROBOTICS
Innovating Since Day One - Creating the Intelligent Home.
At ECOVACS ROBOTICS, we care about innovating solutions to enhance your lifestyle. Based on deep understanding of use cases and consumer experiences, we design robots that help you to "live smart, enjoy life".
With over 20 years of design and industry-leading research, we have led the market as homes become more intelligent and responsive. We are building a world where your home asks less of your attention, becomes more seamless and powerful, and frees you to spend more time doing what you love.
