After its industry-leading drones, Shenzhen-based DJI is gearing up for a bold new venture straight into your living room. According to a report from the China Securities Journal, the tech giant is preparing to launch its first robotic vacuum cleaner, a move poised to shake up the already competitive smart cleaning appliance market in China.
The upcoming product, reportedly named DJI ROMO, marks DJI’s first major foray into consumer smart home devices. With the launch expected this month, DJI is entering a space already dominated by several well-established names. However, as history has shown, DJI doesn’t enter a market without aiming to lead it.
Four years in the making, the DJI ROMO isn’t just a robotic vacuum; it’s expected to combine vacuuming and mopping functionalities, aligning with the all-in-one trend seen in high-end cleaning robots.
Though the company has yet to make an official statement, leaked images of the packaging confirm the name and form factor, sparking curiosity among tech enthusiasts and competitors alike. DJI, known for its sophisticated stabilization, sensors, and vision systems in drones, may bring a unique set of technologies to this new product category.
This ambitious step pits DJI against fierce domestic competition. Roborock, a Chinese firm, leads the global robot vacuum market with a 16% market share, trailed by iRobot (maker of Roomba) at 13.7%, according to a March report by IDC. Other top names include Ecovacs Robotics, Xiaomi, and Dreame, all hailing from China.
The home turf battle is especially intense. In mainland China alone, where market growth reached 6.7% last year, Ecovacs, Roborock, and Narwal dominate the shelves and sales charts.
As IDC reported, the global robotic vacuum market shipped 20.6 million units in 2024, reflecting an 11.2% year-on-year increase. Clearly, the demand is growing, but so is the competition.
While DJI remains tight-lipped, it’s reasonable to assume that the company may integrate some of its drone-related tech into ROMO, such as advanced navigation, AI object recognition, and mapping capabilities. These could become significant differentiators in a space where precision, efficiency, and user experience matter deeply.
It’s also worth noting that DJI’s manufacturing and supply chain capabilities, honed through years of global drone production, give it a logistical edge for rapid scaling.
