Dyson for years has decried would-be imitators, saying rivals should build their own motors, create their own ideas. That’s why its new Spot+Scrub AI robot vacuum and mop is turning heads: at first blush, it looks and performs very much like the mainstream machines of the category. Here’s the thing: after a close encounter in Berlin during the rush of IFA, the question isn’t if Dyson can make a good robot — it’s if it can make a *different* one.
What’s actually new this time
The Spot+Scrub AI marks Dyson’s second shot at a floor-cleaning robot, following a design-forward bot called the 360 Vis Nav that skipped a self-emptying base and occasionally struggled with navigation. This subsequent effort plays it conform: a flush-mounted LiDAR array to map what’s around it; a larger footprint that speaks less “safe-and-slow” and more “thin-and- daring”; and a somber chassis of all black, much of the visual flair held below.
The docking station is a three-tank system, with fresh water, wastewater and a bagless dust container that Dyson says holds up to 100 days’ worth of debris. The dock even washes and dries the mopping roller too, another helpful extra that cuts the possibility of mildew and the effort of manual maintenance. They’re table-stakes now with premium competition from Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, and iRobot, and Dyson is finally playing ball.
Software is also getting a much-needed rethink. A MyDyson app, rebuilt, gains 3D mapping, room-level customisation, and real-time cleaning visualisation. If Dyson nails map stability and obstacle labeling, it would be filling a real gap. In real-world satisfaction, independent testers and consumer advocates say, consistent mapping and intuitive controls can matter as much as suction.
The ‘spot and scrub’ AI promise
The headline feature of Dyson is its name: see the stain, pause for a gander, then scrub a lot until it’s actually gone. The robot recognizes more than 200 household items and cleans safely around them, according to the company, which prioritizes safety and precision. That is the correct thesis—most combo bots cruise right over dried gunk — but it’s going to come down to execution.
Rivals already combine object recognition with context aware cleaning. iRobot’s PrecisionVision aims to miss the cords and pet waste; Roborock and Ecovacs deploy AI cameras and structured light to sort shoes, socks and cables. Those systems help cut down on entanglements in tests out in the field, where they can still mistakenly classify clutter in low-illumination or reflective floors. Dyson’s take will have to show that it can offer better perceptibility and pressure-scrubbing for it to be more than just an equal.
So why does it look like everything else?
Between the restrained black shell and taller, boxy dock (complete with water tanks and an auto-empty chamber), the Spot+Scrub AI could easily be mistaken for several of this manufacturer’s premium rivals across a showroom floor. That’s not a problem per se — it’s a symptom of convergence. As Canalys and other market observers have pointed out, the robot vacuum market is a mature one, with many of the brands using similar modules now when it comes to doing things like utilizing LiDAR, brush assemblies and docking sub-systems, few such modular stable suppliers.
Industry gossip also indicates closer cooperation up and down the vertical stack. Teardown snoopers have guessed that Dyson collaborated with a robotics veteran in order to speed up development, a well-trodden route in this type of category, where time-to-market success often rests on tested navigation stack and docking mechanics. iRobot, Roborock, among others, have all relied on partnerships at some stage to speed up features such as hot-wash mop cleaning or improved obstacle detection. The upshot: products that may adhere to the same playbook despite having different logos.
The humor, of course, is brand-specific. Dyson’s previous 360 series radiated individuality — the bagless design cues, the bold colors, the nonconformist silhouette. This new robot plays it straight. If you anticipated a Dyson from 10 feet away, you’d think you had whiplash.
What it needs to prove to dethrone category leaders
Performance will settle the debate. In order to command a premium cost, the Spot+Scrub AI has to demonstrate meaningful benefits around those three parameters: Stain removal (dwell time, downward pressure and pass count), hair pickup without brush jams and navigation that reliably avoids no-go zones and short obstacles. Review bodies such as Consumer Reports and Which? often extol long term reliability and ease of maintenance — filter access, roller cleaning, dock sanitation — as industry differentiators.
Relatedly, being a brand rooted in engineering may give Dyson some credibility. Its vacuum motors and airflow pathways usually mean strong deep-clean ratings, and a bagless base could save you money and waste over time if the sealing and dust compression work well enough. But the company will also have to prove that its app stays stable for months, that maps don’t drift, and that firmware updates improve behavior rather than regressing it — common pain points even for IR incumbents.
Pricing has yet to be announced, and launch will be phased around the world. For context, Dyson’s previous robot launched in the premium well north of four figures. Now that rivals are offering hefty docks, hot-air drying and high-pressure mopping at competitive prices, however, brand alone won’t cut it for Dyson.
Bottom line
Because the high end of robot cleaning has crystalized around the same successful formula: LiDAR navigation, an all-in-one dock and object aware mopping, the Spot+Scrub AI appears ordinary. If Dyson’s stain-obsessed AI and its bagless base really do work (and the app finally feels top quality), it won’t matter about that look. If not, the company that has called out the copycats, may itself be a copycat.
