Robotic vacuum cleaners have evolved quite a bit since I first reviewed one almost a decade back. The new Dreame X60 Ultra is a good example of how this segment has tried to reinvent itself for the opportunities and gaps in the market.

The Dreame X60 Ultra is a more compact setup than earlier models from this company. But that does not mean this one does less. The dock fits easily in a corner and has tanks for fresh and dirty water. The robot itself goes below the dock to charge and also uses the apparatus to clean itself after each run and fill fresh water for wiping.

Before each cleaning run, the robot goes through a ritual of its own cleaning and refilling the tanks and its wiping pads. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)

I spent about 15 minutes unpacking and setting up the entire rig, which includes all the brushes and the water tanks. After this the Dreame app took over and configured the device and Wi-Fi.

Mapping and navigation

On its first run, the robot started mapping the house.…