Dyson is one of the top makers of cordless vacuums in the world, earning several spots on our list of the best cordless vacuums for their strong cleaning performance and attractive design. While not as famous for it, the company has been making robot vacuum cleaners since the 1990s, with its first model, the DC06, debuting in 2001. The newest one is the Dyson Spot+Scrub AI, the company’s first wet-and-dry robot vacuum cleaner.
“Now we have engineered a robot that intelligently detects, identifies, and cleans stains, spills and debris, identifying stubborn stains and going over and over them until they are gone, using advanced AI,” James Dyson, founder of Dyson, said in a statement. “It is a determined, intelligent and adaptable machine. The wet roller even cleans itself with fresh water as it rotates, ensuring your floors remain spotless.”
The Spot+Scrub AI takes over from previous models like the Dyson 360 Vis Nav and competes directly with models from Roborock, Ecovacs, Eufy, Shark and others that have dominated the robot vacuum market lately. I got to see it in action for a brief moment at Dyson’s Soho Store, watching it clean and navigate a boxed-off area. It wasn’t a comprehensive demo, but it worked well in the enclosed area, cleaned up the messes, and then self-emptyed and self-cleaned in the nearby docking station.
It cleans using what Dyson calls a 12-point hydration system, which uses heated, fresh water from the roller to remove stains. The roller self-cleans with each rotation, a feature we’ve seen on many high-end robot vacuums, so it’s good to see Dyson joining the club. The roller also extends to 1.6 inches to clean tight corners and skirting boards.
Perhaps more notable is Dyson’s AI stain-detection system, which the company says can identify 200 types of household substances and objects and can revisit the same area until the stain is removed. It uses the green LED illuminator we’ve seen on the Dyson PencilVac and Dyson V16 Piston Animal to spot the stain (with some help from the AI-powered camera), and it continues cleaning the spot until the stain is removed.
“By combining lidar room scanning technology and camera vision systems, the Spot+Scrub Ai is able to detect stains and accurately navigate around obstacles, while vacuuming and washing your floors,” Jake Dyson, chief engineer at Dyson, said in a statement. “It continually adapts its cleaning patterns based on real-time detection of debris, sticky spills, and stains. When it detects a stain, the robot performs up to 15 focused cleaning passes over the area, using its HD camera to monitor until the stain is fully removed. Meanwhile, the cleaning roller is continuously washed with heated water on the move, to ensure every area is thoroughly cleaned with a spotless floor finish.”
This sounds similar to a feature that Shark unveiled on the Shark UV Reveal, which uses a mix of UV lighting and an AI camera to identify stains and a traditional flat mopping pad to clean. The Spot+Scrub also boasts object avoidance capabilities and supports the MyDyson app.
In terms of other specs, you’re looking at a docking station with a bagless, cyclonic, self-emptying dustbin. Dyson says it can store up to 100 days of dust and comes with a dust filter that can retain particles as small as 0.1 microns. There are 0.6 gallons of clean water and 0.55 gallons of dirty water.
The Spot+Scrub AI will run you $1,199, and it’s available now from Dyson. However, it’s not the only cleaning product Dyson is releasing.
Dyson’s wet and dry cleaners
Also new is a wet-and-dry cleaner with Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene. Similar to Dyson’s other models we’ve seen and tested, it’s a wet-and-dry cleaner that doesn’t use suction. Instead, it uses a microfiber roller to remove messes from hard flooring, and it doesn’t come with a debris filter that needs cleaning or can get clogged. It’s a bit bulkier than the Dyson PencilWash that I got to go hands-on with earlier at the Soho store, but it’s not particularly heavy at 8.4 pounds.
Like the PencilWash, it can lie flat and fit under low furniture thanks to its 4.4-inch profile. There’s also a docking station with hot-air drying and self-cleaning, a feature I’ve wanted in Dyson’s wet-and-dry cleaners for some time. The Clean+Wash Hygiene costs $499 and is available now.
Finally, the aforementioned PencilWash will also be available for $350.
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