When Mikki Hayward was preparing her home in the United States for sale, she expected her robot vacuum to help with the cleaning. What she did not expect was for it to recognize clutter, navigate around obstacles and even flag small valuables.
"It doesn't get stuck on random boxes or obstacles, and it even tags small valuables it finds so they don't get lost in the shuffle," she said.
For Jessica Jones, another US user, the appeal lies elsewhere.
As her robot vacuum glides across the floor, she can use the device's camera to check on the foster kittens roaming around her home.
"Loving (the ability to) check in on my foster kittens while the machine does its cleaning thing!" she wrote in a social media post. "There are more and more features I'm discovering all the time, but pet mode is amazing!"
Technology reviewers have also been impressed by how much the latest generation of cleaning robots has evolved.
"What is also smart is that it adjusts how it cleans depending on the type of mess. So, wet messes and dry debris are not being treated the exact same way, and that makes the whole process feel much more hands-off," YouTube channel DailyTested said in a review.
All of these glowing testimonials refer to the latest product from Chinese manufacturer Narwal Robotics.
Launched in the US market in April and equipped with a dual-camera vision recognition system and an artificial intelligence-powered cleaning platform capable of adapting to different household environments, the product quickly topped Amazon US' new releases ranking and entered the top 10 robot vacuum category within 24 hours of launch.
The success is far from an isolated case.
As Chinese manufacturers continue to integrate artificial intelligence, advanced sensors and autonomous navigation into household devices, a growing number of domestically developed cleaning robots are finding enthusiastic buyers around the world.
According to data from the General Administration of Customs, cleaning robots — added as a stand-alone customs classification this year — accounted for 7.75 billion yuan ($1.14 billion) in exports during the first quarter of this year, representing 68.5 percent of China's total robot export value.
In addition, out of total global shipments of 32.72 million units in 2025, Chinese manufacturers accounted for more than half of the global market, according to global market consultancy IDC, with Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal occupying the top five positions globally in household cleaning robot production.
"The market has entered a new phase, characterized by the dominance of Chinese brands, rapid technological iteration and increasing segmentation across product categories," said Zhao Siquan, a senior analyst at IDC China.
Under IDC's definition, the broader cleaning robot sector encompasses robot vacuums, window-cleaning robots, lawn-mowing robots and pool-cleaning robots.
"Leveraging a complete supply chain, rapid product iteration capabilities and strengths in algorithms, Chinese manufacturers have expanded their presence across virtually all of these segments," Zhao said.
From cordless designs and AI-powered navigation to all-in-one docking stations and multidevice collaboration, many technologies that were first deployed at scale by Chinese manufacturers are now becoming industry standards, she added.
As competition intensifies, leading players are also broadening their ambitions.
"Top manufacturers are evolving from single-category providers into full-scenario home service companies," Zhao said.
"This is because, for consumers, cleaning is not an isolated need, but part of everyday household life. Companies that can deliver services across a wider range of home scenarios will have a greater opportunity to build stronger user engagement and long-term brand loyalty."
lijiaying@chinadaily.com.cn
