Is Local AI the Key to Smarter Robot Vacuums? A Look at Ecovacs' Approach

09/07/2025 Robotics

I recently heard about the new Deebot X11 OmniCyclone, and what caught my attention is the talk about its on-device AI. It seems Ecovacs is pushing to make this robot vacuum smarter, right on your floor, without constantly phoning home to the cloud.

The idea is that the X11 can use its local smarts to spot spills and messes, figure out the best way to clean them, and even decide which mopping solution to use. Plus, it supposedly learns your routine over time, adapting its cleaning schedule to your habits. Sounds pretty neat, right?

Talking to Your Vacuum Cleaner

Ecovacs is also touting its AI Agent Yiko, a generative AI assistant that you can boss around with natural language. I'm curious about the extent of this. Can you really tell it to only clean the bedroom on Fridays, or to tidy up around the dining table every evening? I didn't get to test it myself, but if it works as advertised, it could be a game-changer. I'm not sure about you, but my old robot vacuum can't do that!

However, there's a catch. If your internet goes down, you'll lose some functionality. The app won't work, so you can't remotely control the vacuum or see those cool cloud-saved videos. And Yiko will be silenced, since the voice assistant relies on the cloud.

Going Solo: AI-Only Mode

But here's where it gets interesting. There's an "Agent Hosting" mode where you can switch the Deebot X11 OmniCyclone to AI-only control. Basically, you're trusting it to clean your house without any input from you. Ecovacs claims it can recognize over 100 different objects, even something as small as a grain of sand.

If it does a good job in this mode, you might never need the app again. You might not even notice when your internet is down, since the vacuum will keep cleaning, adjusting its schedule, identifying messes, and changing its approach on its own. That's the dream, isn't it?

I asked if they envision a future where the AI voice assistant is also on-device, but the reps weren't sure. It's not quite the fully offline smart home I'm hoping for, but it's a step in the right direction. Let's hope it lives up to the hype, because with AI, there are no guarantees.