It appears that DJI， a company primarily known for its drones and action cameras， has ventured into the realm of robotic vacuum cleaners with a rather stylish “Transparent Exploration Edition.”
While many might assume that DJI’s extensive expertise in motor control， visual navigation， and obstacle avoidance from their drone technology would make developing a robotic vacuum a straightforward task， this move presents both advantages and disadvantages for the company， especially considering their global dominance in the drone market.
The market perception is that DJI’s entry is likely to produce something significantly different， a “descent from a higher dimension” that will disrupt competitors， thus setting a high bar for consumer expectations.
Indeed， the author notes that several affluent friends have inquired about the product’s performance， indicating a surge of interest even from individuals who typically don’t follow robotic vacuum cleaner reviews. This contrasts with the usual low engagement for such content， suggesting DJI’s brand appeal has successfully mobilized a broader audience.
Furthermore， the DJI brand itself carries a certain prestige， fostering an inherent positive bias among consumers and leading to a higher price tolerance. For instance， discussions in tech forums reveal sentiments that a DJI robotic vacuum priced under 6，000 Yuan would be considered acceptable， a level of user acceptance that other brands in the market would envy.
Given the significant discussion and high expectations surrounding this product， after a period of testing， this article aims to provide a comprehensive review of DJI’s debut robotic vacuum cleaner.
The auto-water-refill version does not include a silver ion module.
To summarize， as a first-generation product， the DJI robotic vacuum boasts excellent build quality and a user experience befitting the DJI brand， effectively leveraging DJI’s advancements in obstacle avoidance and path planning. However， in terms of actual cleaning performance， certain technical choices mean there are areas where it could learn from established competitors.
Let’s delve into DJI’s strengths， which clearly demonstrate the company’s meticulous attention to detail and its renowned “detail-obsessed” product philosophy.
The model reviewed here is the DJI RoboVac R-X， the flagship version. Its primary distinction from the other two variants lies in the transparent casing for both the robotic vacuum itself and its docking station. This allows for a clear view of the vacuum’s air duct， dustbin， the cleaning solution and antibacterial solution reservoirs within the docking station， and the dust bag for self-emptying.
This transparent design choice reflects DJI’s astute understanding of consumer psychology. Consumers opting for smart home devices like robotic vacuums， especially from a brand like DJI， are often drawn to technological sophistication. The “Transparent Exploration Edition，” having proven its appeal in the tech product market by enhancing emotional connection， becomes a justifiable feature for DJI’s inaugural flagship robotic vacuum.
Moreover， the striking aesthetic of this robotic vacuum makes it an elegant decorative piece when not in use， truly embodying the integration of home appliances with a digital product sensibility.
However， prospective buyers of the flagship transparent version， like the unit reviewed， will find the price point notably higher. The water tank version costs 6，799 Yuan， while the auto-water-refill version is priced at 7，399 Yuan. For those who are not particularly drawn to the transparent design， a standard version is available at around 4，000 Yuan.
It’s worth noting that DJI’s first robotic vacuum positions itself in the premium segment， with pricing generally ranging from 4，000 to 7，000 Yuan. The core configurations across the flagship， advanced， and standard versions remain largely consistent. The premium feel extends beyond the “transparent aesthetic” appealing to tech enthusiasts; DJI has also prioritized low noise levels during operation and drying cycles.
While low noise might seem like a minor consideration for a device that primarily operates when the household is away， it offers significant “humanistic care，” especially for pet owners. Unlike previous robotic vacuums that would startle pets， this DJI model allows pets to coexist peacefully， even engaging with it， making it highly suitable for homes with pets and children.
Beyond its user-centric design and detailed features， DJI’s robotic vacuum utilizes mature industry solutions for its primary configurations， ensuring stable cleaning performance. The company’s core strengths in obstacle avoidance and cleaning algorithms have been effectively integrated.
In terms of a cleaning mechanism， DJI employs a tri-claw， dual-side brush design， with one side brush featuring a retractable mechanical structure. This setup is superior to competitor offerings in terms of user experience and cleaning effectiveness， particularly in reaching corners and ensuring cleaner edges due to the extending side brush.
Coupled with a rotating mop that extends outwards to meticulously clean edges， and a refined， logical route planning system， the DJI robotic vacuum achieves a remarkably high level of cleaning coverage.
To illustrate the effectiveness of its intelligent route planning and coverage， consider a scenario where a pet crosses the vacuum’s path. The DJI unit will skillfully navigate around the pet， resuming its cleaning route afterward， and then completing the missed areas without erratic movement.
Additionally， the DJI robotic vacuum features a short-bristle roller brush design， similar to that used by Roborock， which has been proven to significantly reduce hair entanglement.
The key highlight of the DJI robotic vacuum lies in its obstacle recognition and avoidance system， which utilizes a combination of vision and LiDAR. It features a pair of dual fisheye cameras at the front and three solid-state LiDAR sensors (two front， one rear) for mapping and navigation. To enhance visual recognition in low-light conditions， the vacuum is equipped with auxiliary fill lights.
This configuration deviates from the rumored pure vision system， indicating that DJI has not yet fully embraced the “Tesla of robotic vacuums” approach. However， this setup contributes to rapid map generation， and the visual recognition and obstacle avoidance performance of DJI’s debut model are undoubtedly top-tier.
Therefore， conventional obstacle avoidance aspects can be largely taken for granted. Let’s focus on more challenging scenarios.
According to DJI and our own testing， the robotic vacuum has undergone algorithmic optimization to handle very thin objects on the floor. This means it can recognize and avoid items like children’s flashcards or dropped credit cards， preventing them from being swept up and potentially causing further mess due to their low profile.
Further testing with small LEGO bricks， thin data cables， water spills， coffee， orange juice， and even dangling curtains revealed that the DJI robotic vacuum accurately identifies and navigates around these obstacles.
Remarkably， the DJI robotic vacuum even managed to detect and avoid a mixture of pet hairballs and cat food expelled by a pet due to digestive issues.
Consequently， it was not surprising to observe the DJI robotic vacuum successfully identifying and avoiding a transparent glass in low-light conditions.
Given that visual recognition and obstacle avoidance are DJI’s core competencies， such performance is not unexpected but rather a testament to the brand’s expertise.
In essence， as a first-generation product， the DJI robotic vacuum excels by mastering visual recognition， obstacle avoidance， and route planning， while also offering an innovative design and quiet operation. If basic sweeping， mopping functions， aesthetic appeal， and DJI’s renowned build quality are your priorities， this product is certainly worth considering.
However， for discerning potential buyers who have read this far， it is crucial to examine the areas where the product could be improved.
The most contentious aspect of its configuration is the adoption of the circular mop design.
For those less familiar with robotic vacuums， there are two primary mopping solutions currently available. One is the “circular mop” design， a traditional approach where the mop remains wet and drags across the floor， similar to manual mopping. The other is the “roller/tread-style mop.”
Most top brands in the robotic vacuum market， excluding Roborock， have adopted either a roller or tread-style mop system. These newer designs ensure continuous wet mopping with fresh water and incorporate scrapers to collect dirty water.
Tread vs. Circular Mop
However， roller or tread-style mops also present a challenge: the internal dirty water tank can become quite soiled， and the groove above the roller brush within the main body of the vacuum can be difficult to clean.
In essence， both designs have their respective advantages and disadvantages. Roller/tread mops provide superior cleaning but can make the vacuum unit itself prone to soiling and maintenance issues. Circular mops offer a more traditional mopping experience， primarily focusing on keeping the floor wet， and largely prevent the vacuum unit from becoming dirty， simplifying maintenance.
During the compilation of this review， there have been user reports on the internet highlighting that the circular mop design lacks innovation and offers only mediocre mopping results.
In response to these observations， DJI explained that the choice of a circular mop was deliberate. They acknowledged that their engineering prototypes utilizing roller mops delivered excellent mopping performance but also identified the difficulty in cleaning the main unit of the vacuum. Since no industry-standard solution currently addresses this issue effectively， DJI opted for the circular mop in their first-generation robotic vacuum to prioritize ease of maintenance for the unit itself.
DJI further elaborated that their fundamental goal in developing robotic vacuums is to minimize user intervention and maximize convenience， essentially aiming for a “set it and forget it” experience. While this decision might be a point of contention for some， initial sales figures suggest that it has not deterred consumers from choosing DJI.
Additionally， for those concerned about the vacuum’s ability to climb over obstacles and thresholds， the DJI model has an obstacle-clearing height of approximately 2-3 cm， falling short of some competitors that offer 4 cm or even 6 cm clearance. While 2-3 cm is sufficient for most common situations， this is an area where future iterations could see improvement.
Potentially due to limitations in climbing and obstacle clearance， the initial carpet cleaning strategy of the DJI robotic vacuum seemed somewhat conservative. For instance， even with suction boost enabled (effectively a carpet cleaning mode)， it would occasionally bypass carpets altogether. However， following feedback from the DJI team， a new firmware update was promptly released， addressing this issue.
While on the subject of firmware updates， it’s worth mentioning some initial bugs encountered. Upon receiving the unit， it was observed that the vacuum would misinterpret carpet patterns as obstacles， consequently ignoring long-pile carpets.
However， after a few rapid bug fixes through official OTA updates， it’s evident that each firmware update from DJI significantly improves the recognition capabilities. This instills confidence in DJI’s ability to further optimize the product. Given that DJI exports its drones globally， this robotic vacuum is likely to be an international product as well， and many Western households frequently use robotic vacuums for cleaning carpets and rugs.
After reviewing the user experience， it’s clear that DJI’s intention with its first robotic vacuum was not to revolutionize the industry but rather to create a product that is user-friendly and reliable. This initial goal appears to have been met with considerable success. What are your thoughts on DJI’s latest product launch?
