Xiaomi Robot Vacuum 6 Max: The automated cleaning machine that didn’t skip leg day

In the world of automated cleaning machines – which handle both vacuuming and mopping – some technical challenges still needed to be solved before the segment could be considered solved. Xiaomi may have just achieved this with its new Robot Vacuum 6 Max.

One of those challenging technical problems has always been changes in elevation. Thick carpets, ledges, room boundaries, door frames, and more shifts in height, which humans can easily navigate, were previously huge problems for these machines. They either caused the robots to get stuck, requiring human intervention, or left huge swathes of your space uncleaned, as these segments were previously unreachable.

Manufacturers have tried to solve this with a range of solutions, but all of them depend on the fact that these robots need to be close to the ground for efficient vacuuming. So what did Xiaomi do? It gave the Robot Vacuum 6 Max a powerful pair of bionic legs, which allow the robot to reach new spaces up to six centimetres high. This is much, much higher than any other machine in the segment and truly unlocks larger spaces, as well as more homes and offices to be entirely cleaned by this robot vacuum.

The need to deploy these legs are smartly determined by the advanced navigation system utilising a triple camera, room recognition system. This is paired with a Smart Retractable Radar and the latest in object-recognition AI. These systems ensure that the robot not only follows the best routes and never gets stuck due to elevation, but it also provides the best cleaning by identifying and removing dirt and debris.

When the legs aren’t needed they simply, and elegantly, fold away back into the body, allowing the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum 6 Max to make full use of its absurdly powerful 35 000Pa suction power vacuum and sophisticated mopping system.

Saying the vacuum is powerful is an understatement. It has the most suction power ever put into a Robot Vacuum by Xiaomi, and it’s smart too. Here this robot doesn’t use its legs, it instead uses its three retractable mechanical arms. Two of these arms are side brushes, allowing the robot to reach into the deepest corners and physically push dirt into the vacuum.

And that last arm, you may be asking? It’s a special mop pad that cleans especially difficult surfaces like furniture legs, skirting and moulding. These surfaces are neglected by other robot vacuums, but not this one.

This third arm works with the main mopping system. The internal roller applies constant pressure along with just the right amount of force to get even stubborn messes off the floor, like dried coffee. The special mop roller also uses a light, but firm touch to remove caked-on messes without scratching the floor.

After solving the issues of elevation, proper cleaning and navigation, Xiaomi also went ahead and solved the need for constant human intervention. Other machines in this category still need a human to empty the vacuum bag, replace the mop water and charge up the machine. That’s not the case here.

The new and improved Omni Station dock is the HQ for this robot. Not only does the dock charge the robot back up, allowing it to work indefinitely, but it also uses hot temperatures to clean and dry the mop, keeping it sterile and killing bacteria. The dock replaces the water for the mopping system and empties the vacuum bag, allowing you to go up to 75 days before you need to empty the dock itself. That’s right: you’re not interacting with your cleaning robot daily, or weekly, but instead up to two and a half months can go by before you’re needed at all.

Today, we didn’t even have time to get into more features, which solve more problems, such as the voice commands and the new light ring, which gives you feedback from these commands. We didn’t get to dig into the child lock functionality, over the air (OTA) upgrades to continually keep your robot’s brain updated, the large 6 400mAh battery and more.

We’ll leave some surprises for you to discover as the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum 6 Max has just touched down in South Africa. You can get yours today from the country’s most trusted online store, Takealot.

And as we head into the holidays and start thinking about those gifts for family and friends, treat them (or yourself) to this top of the range cleaning product from Xiaomi. Alternatively, check out the rest of the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum 6 Series of machines which are all available now.

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