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It turns out that Roborock isn’t the only company that brought a robot vacuum with a mechanical arm to CES 2025. Rival company Dreame, which unveiled its stair-climbing robot vacuum earlier in the week, is also working on a robot vacuum with an arm for picking up objects.

The device is still a prototype, according to the company, but the as yet unnamed robo vac was on full display at Dreame’s CES booth. Considering it’s still a prototype, the actual arm looked far more substantial compared to the one on Roborock’s Saros Z70. It was much thicker and had a bigger “claw” that looked like it might be able to pick up slightly heavier objects. (Roborock says its vac can pick up object that weigh up to 300 grams.) 

Unfortunately, Dreame wasn’t showing it actually grab anything, but I was able to watch the arm extend and retract several times. It appeared to be on a similar device as the X50 as the prototype vacuum also rocked up onto “legs,” much like Dreame’s stair-stepping X50.

A Dreame rep at the booth told me that the company has been working on the prototype for a while, but decided to accelerate its plans for the vacuum at CES. After a quick glance up, I knew exactly what he was referring to: Dreame’s booth is positioned directly across from Roborock, which was displaying a massive replica of its arm-wielding Saros Z70 on top of its booth.

Maybe next year we’ll see the two robot vacuum arm wrestle. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/more-than-one-company-brought-a-robot-vacuum-with-a-mechanical-arm-to-ces-2025-014056459.html?src=rss

We may no longer be at the height of the tiny home craze, but the idea of a resource-light, efficiently built home that can be plonked down just about anywhere still appeals. Today at CES, I got to tour the 2025 model of the microhaus Pro from California-based Haus. It was shiny, swankily appointed and, honestly, not as expensive as I thought it’d be. 

The interior of the 120-square foot unit is all wood tones, glass and soft neutrals. It’s like you took a shipping container and replaced the hard lines and corrugated steel with rounded corners and floor-to-ceiling windows. The surfaces glint and every part of the space is maximized with an Ikea-like small-space efficiency, like the queen-sized Murphy bed that folds up to reveal a table and two bench seats. The kitchen has a small fridge, microwave and included in the price is a full suite of Villeroy & Boch dishware and there’s a full-sized shower in the bathroom.  

The units truly can go just about anywhere with no site preparation required — if the ground is flat, it’ll work. The microhaus Pro is also climate agnostic, with the ability to set up in snowy forests, hot deserts and temperate beaches (though hot and cold climate packages are about $10,00 extra each). It’s also seismic California fire code and CAT-5 hurricane compliant. 

Amy Skorheim / Engadget

Installation takes usually under an hour and doesn’t require any special hook ups — a garden hose and an extension cord is all it needs. And thanks to its size, it falls below the size threshold that would require a permit. The included 3.6 kWh battery can run everything in the home for four days and there’s an optional atmospheric water generation and a battery life of four days. Drinking water is reverse osmosis filtered and the waste disposal system “melts” everything into liquid, which can be run out an extendable pipe you can connect to septic or a holding tank. 

The Pro model also features high-end perks like voice control via the Apple HomePod mounted to the wall. During my tour, Max Gerbut, Haus’s CEO asked Siri to lower the shades, and it complied. You also get the full package, dishes, towels et cetera — I even saw a drawer full of M&Ms in the kitchen and was assured you get those too. 

The Pro model is a more deluxe and robust edition meant for Airbnb and rental use and goes for $89,99. If you don’t need the smart home features, the battery backup and the included dishes, you can grab the microhaus Lite for $59,990. There’s also a $35,000 shell version that includes just the HVAC system, lights, wiring, bathroom fixtures and plumbing. 

One thing none of the microhaus models include is solar generation. For that, you’ll need to switch up to the 400 and 800 square-foot units. Those have the same put-it-anywhere convenience but are fully autonomous and go for $199,000 and $299,000, respectively. Note that none of the prices include delivery. 

It’s true — none of these prices are small numbers. But I’ve helped build yurts, tiny homes and sheds. I’ve lived in more than one hand-built home and have looked into many other modular, pre-fab options. Comparatively, these prices aren’t terribly high, especially when you consider there’s nearly no site prep, no installation and no contractor required. 

The microhaus Pro is available to order now from the Haus website.  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/at-ces-2025-i-toured-the-haus-microhaus-pro-a-self-contained-living-pod-you-can-put-just-about-anywhere-011604860.html?src=rss