Samsung’s Jet Bot Steam Ultra Masters Liquid Detection, Qualcomm AI Inside

Launching a smarter clean

Samsung today formally introduced the Bespoke AI Jet Bot Steam Ultra, a flagship robot vacuum that pairs advanced liquid detection with on-board Qualcomm AI processing, and it will headline the company’s CES 2026 showcase and wider rollouts set to follow this quarter. The reveal signals Samsung’s push to reposition robot vacuums as multifunctional home robots that can recognize spills, navigate complex spaces, and integrate tightly with SmartThings, making routine cleaning less manual and more secure for connected households.

What it actually detects

The standout capability is transparent liquid recognition Jet Bot Steam Ultra can identify puddles and other clear liquids that defeat many competitors, then switch behavior to avoid smearing or to trigger steam-cleaning modes where appropriate. Paired with AI object recognition powered by Qualcomm’s on-device Dragonwing processor, the robot distinguishes humans, pets, cables, and small obstacles down to a centimeter, reducing false positives and enabling context-aware cleaning choices that minimize user intervention.

Engineering under the hood

Samsung combined LiDAR-based SLAM, visual odometry and stereo 3D camera sensing into a fused navigation stack, leveraging Qualcomm neural acceleration for the deep learning models that run locally on the device. This architecture lowers latency for split-second decisions around liquids and fragile objects, and improves mapping robustness in low-light or cluttered rooms. Security was addressed as well: Samsung emphasizes hardened firmware and SmartThings integration to keep visual sensing and telemetry under user control.

Everyday scenarios rethought

In homes with kids, pets, or frequent cooking, the Jet Bot Steam Ultra promises fewer mop mistakes and less rescue work imagine automatic detours around spilled drinks or a command to apply steam-cleaning on sticky spots after a meal. For multiroom apartments it can climb modest thresholds, pop out a corner brush for baseboard scrubbing, and hand off status and maps to SmartThings routines so users can schedule room-specific cleaning tied to calendars or presence detection.

Physical profile and sensors

The Jet Bot Steam Ultra measures 13.8 x 13.8 x 3.9 inches and weighs 20.3 pounds including its Clean Station, balancing a compact footprint with substantial docking hardware. Samsung rates its battery pack for a typical lifespan of 2-3 years; sensing includes a 3D active stereo camera, LiDAR, cliff and bump sensors, dust sensor, and dedicated obstacle sensors to support its wheeled mobility, brush roll and suction cleaning system. The robot runs proprietary Samsung firmware with AI algorithms, integrates with SmartThings, and offers safety features such as cliff detection, anti-collision sensors and an app-enabled child lock.

Where it stands against rivals

Against the Ecovacs X9 Pro Omni, Roborock Saros Z70, Dreame L50 Ultra and Dreame X50 Ultra, Samsung’s strengths are liquid detection, Diamond-level IoT security claims, and on-device Qualcomm AI for low-latency object recognition, giving it an edge in homes with spills and privacy-conscious users. However, competitors may outpace Samsung on full-self service autonomy or aggressive price-to-feature ratios Ecovacs and Roborock often bundle expansive auto-empty and mop-fill stations with heavy marketing on runtime and suction, while Dreame’s Ultra models push modular cleaning hardware and value. Samsung’s trade-offs are premium positioning and tighter SmartThings-centric integration, which benefits existing Samsung ecosystem users but could feel restrictive for those invested in other smart-home platforms.