Stair-Climbing adds new cleaning abilities to the new Roborock Saros 20 series at CES 2026
Roborock’s Saros 20 series debuts at CES 2026 with extreme suction, smarter mopping, and a prototype that can finally take on stairs.
Roborock has expanded the boundaries of home robotics at CES 2026 with the unveiling of its Saros 20 series, a new flagship lineup designed to tackle real-world home challenges that have long limited robot vacuums.
The range includes the Roborock Saros 20, Saros 20 Sonic, and a headline-grabbing concept-turned-prototype, the Saros Rover, which introduces stair-climbing capability to consumer robovacs for the first time.
Both the Roborock Saros 20 and the Saros 20 Sonic include Roborock’s next-generation AdaptiLift Chassis 3.0 system uses an advanced vision system, adaptive algorithms, and a complex structure comprising a main wheel, an auxiliary wheel, and a climbing arm to analyse, test, and memorise the optimal way to cross thresholds.
Roborock Saros 20: Built to Conquer Thresholds and Complex Homes
The standard Saros 20 is positioned as Roborock’s most autonomous all-rounder to date. The new AdaptiLift Chassis 3.0 here also introduces industry-first dynamic chassis elevation for carpets, intelligently raising body height and adjusting it to an optimal level to maintain the best suction and brush contact on rugs up to 3 cm in pile height when enabled in the app. The Adaptilift Chassis means no more coming to your robot’s aid if it encounters an issue; the Saros 20 can elevate its chassis front, rear, left, or right to free itself without user intervention.
Navigation is handled by StarSight Autonomous System 2.0, which replaces traditional LiDAR with advanced 3D sensing and increases environmental sampling frequency by 21 times. The system recognises over 200 types of obstacles, including cables and pet toys, while a 7.98cm-slim body allows the robot to reach under low furniture.
Cleaning performance is equally aggressive. The Saros 20 delivers 35,000Pa HyperForce suction, paired with a dual spinning mop system capable of applying up to 13N of adaptive pressure for tougher stains. Edge coverage is handled by FlexiArm technology, which extends to clean flush against baseboards and corners.
Maintenance is handled by the new RockDock, featuring 100°C hot-water mop washing, 55°C warm-air drying, and up to 65 days between dust-bag changes, pushing the product firmly into the fully hands-free category.
Saros 20 Sonic: Precision Mopping Takes Centre Stage
The Saros 20 Sonic targets homes where mopping performance matters most. Its standout feature is the VibraRise 5.0 extendable sonic mop, which scrubs floors at 4,000 vibrations per minute with up to 14N of downward pressure. Unlike previous systems, the single mop head physically extends to reach 0mm from edges, eliminating the water gaps common with dual-pad designs.
Like the standard Saros 20, the Sonic variant uses AdaptiLift Chassis 3.0, enabling it to cross tall thresholds and dynamically adjust height for deep carpet cleaning. Navigation is handled by the RetractSense system, which retracts the LiDAR sensor to maintain mapping accuracy under low furniture, a common weakness in slim robovacs.
The system enables the Saros 20 Sonic to achieve a clean for carpets up to 3 cm thick. The chassis intelligently adjusts its height to maintain optimal suction across varying pile heights, delivering a 30% higher dust pickup rate on long-pile carpets. When Deep Carpet Cleaning is enabled, the Main Brush Stabilisation Module ensures the brush maintains a stable downward position for maximum agitation, a significant improvement over standard floating-brush designs.
The Sonic model shares the same 35,000Pa suction, dual anti-tangle brush system, and advanced RockDock features, making it particularly well-suited to homes with pets, mixed flooring, and frequent wet messes.
Saros Rover: Stair-Climbing Changes the Rules
The most radical announcement is the Roborock Saros Rover, the world’s first robovac with a wheel-leg architecture capable of climbing stairs. Each wheel-leg can independently lift, extend, and stabilise the robot, allowing it to clean individual steps, slopes, and multi-level surfaces previously off-limits to single-floor robots.
Powered by AI motion planning and 3D spatial awareness, Saros Rover can navigate straight staircases, curved steps, and even carpeted stairs with bullnose edges. While still in development and without a confirmed launch date, the Rover signals Roborock’s intent to eliminate “no-go zones” entirely in multi-storey homes.
Who the Saros 20 Series Is For
The Saros 20 is aimed at users with complex floor plans, raised thresholds, or mixed flooring who want maximum automation without manual intervention. The Saros 20 Sonic will appeal to users who prioritise deep, precise mopping, especially in kitchens and high-traffic areas. Meanwhile, the Saros Rover is clearly designed for large, multi-storey homes, hinting at a future where a single robot can clean an entire house, stairs included.
Roborock has confirmed that the Saros 20 and Saros 20 Sonic will roll out internationally in 2026, with pricing and regional availability to be announced closer to launch. We will update this article with more information when we receive it.