Cleaning

In order to keep running at peak efficiency, solar panels regularly have to be cleaned of accumulated dust and other debris. Such panels can be difficult to reach, though, which is why the Helios system uses not one but two drones to do the job.

Solar panels continuously accumulate dust, plus they're often located atop tall buildings or in remote areas – this means that they need to be cleaned, but doing so is difficult. That's why a drone-based setup is now being developed to do the job.

Increasingly, robots are being used to autonomously clean floors and other surfaces in places like airports and hospitals. You have to wonder, though … how do they know when a floor is sufficiently clean? A new module could soon tell them.

If you're looking for some robotic help when it comes to keeping your home clean and tidy, Roborock is one of the biggest names in the business, and the S7 is the newest model from the brand – a robovac that we've been extensively testing in recent weeks.

Dyson has wheeled out its latest and greatest cordless vacuum, and in addition to excellent suction power it carries some typically forward-thinking bells and whistles, spearheaded by a laser to light up dusty surfaces.

Besides laundry-washing and lawn-sprinkling, the daily washing of hair uses up a lot of water. L’Oréal's new Water Saver system is designed to help, by reportedly reducing the amount of water used in hair-washing by up to 80 percent.

Roborock makes some of the most advanced robot vacuums on the market, and has just unveiled a new flagship model as part of CES 2021. The Roborock S7 is better at handling stubborn stains, smarter in its mopping mode, and can even empty itself.

Swimming in pools may be fun, but using a dip net to skim leaves off of them can be a tedious chore. That's why the solar-powered Ariel robot was created, as it autonomously does the job for you.

Robot vacuums continue to get better at both cleaning and operating autonomously, and the Roborock S6 MaxV is evidence of improving trends in both areas. It's worth shortlisting if you want one of the best robovacs on the market.

Though a carbon fiber brush can remove dust from a record's surface, stubborn grime might take a bit more persuasion. The latest cleaning machine from Keith Monks Audio can help rid your vinyl classics of clicks and pops caused by dust and grime.

If you're preparing food on an automated production line, then that line had better be clean. A new autonomous robot was designed with this in mind, as it actually learns how to clean better over time.

In recent years, fish farms have increasingly started using underwater ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) for cleaning the nets that enclose their fish pens. A relatively new one, the StealthCleaner, has a unique triangular form factor.