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Robot Autonomy Classified
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New to Robovations? Start with the Autonomy Ladder™

Classification, not recommendation

A plain-English classification of every robot you can buy.

We place each consumer robot on a 5-level Autonomy Ladder, so you know, before you buy, how much the robot actually does on its own and how much stays your job.

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Learn the Autonomy Ladder
357Robots classified1088Changes tracked129Manufacturers2 days agoLast updated
The framework

The Autonomy Ladder™: five tiers of what a robot does on its own.

Every classified robot sits on this scale. The progression is not a quality ranking. It describes a widening circle of conditions the robot can handle without you.

I
Manual
You do nearly everything
One action, on your command. No autonomy.
3classified
II
Assisted
Starts, stalls at anything new
Runs preset routines. Needs frequent rescue.
140classified
III
Conditional
Finishes jobs in familiar spaces
Maps, navigates, completes tasks. Struggles at the edges.
189classified
IV
Environmental
Handles new obstacles without help
Re-plans in real time. Rare in consumer products.
25classified

V
Generalized
Any task, any setting
Currently theoretical. No consumer robot has reached this tier.
0Theoretical

Read the Autonomy Ladder methodology →

Recently classified robots

Recently updated, sorted by latest activity, not by hype or popularity.

Explore All Robots

  • Persona AI Gen 1 II
    Humanoid Robots

    Persona AI Gen 1

    Supervised industrial pilots, shipyard welding, fabrication environments
    Pre-Release 40/100 Concept Stage
  • Ecovacs Deebot T90 Pro Omni III
    Robot Vacuums

    Ecovacs Deebot T90 Pro Omni

    Open-plan multi-floor homes, hard floors, pet hair, hands-off dock
    Provisional 68/100 Capable
  • Eufy C28 Omni III
    Robot Vacuums

    Eufy C28 Omni

    Multi-room hard-floor and low-pile carpet homes, pet hair, full dock automation
    Provisional 64/100 Capable
  • Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai III
    Robot Vacuums

    Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai

    Large open-plan hard floors, recurring stains, minimal dock upkeep
    Provisional 64/100 Capable

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Battery replacement costs across consumer robots: what ownership longevity actually costs
Editor’s analysis · Jun 2026

Battery replacement costs across consumer robots: what ownership longevity actually costs

Most robot owners budget for the purchase price, the dock accessories, and maybe a filter subscription. They do not budget for year three: the moment runtime drops to half its original length and a replacement battery quote arrives at $150 to $500. That figure, multiplied across vacuum, mower, and pool-cleaner categories, changes the total-cost-of-ownership math significantly.

Type
Analysis
Length
10 min read

Read the full analysis

Updates & reclassifications

Firmware, policy, and capability changes that move a robot up or down the ladder.

View the Tracker

Jun 5XPeng unveils Next-Gen IRON with VLA 2.0 foundation model at AI DayAt XPeng's November 2025 AI Day, the company disclosed Next-Gen IRON alongside VLA 2.0, a vision-language-action foundation model intended to…Humanoid RobotsII · announcementMay 22Dreame Aqua 20 Pro Ultra Roller demo footage shows steam-roller mop in operationDreame Next demo footage released following the May 2026 announcement showed the Aqua 20 Pro Ultra Roller's steam-roller mechanism operating…Robot VacuumsIII · demoMay 20Dreame unveils Aqua 20 Pro Ultra Roller with 160°C steam mopping at Dreame NextDreame announced the Aqua 20 Pro Ultra Roller at the Dreame Next event in May 2026, revealing a 160°C steam…Robot VacuumsIII · announcementMay 19iRobot ownership transfers to contract manufacturer Picea through prepackaged Chapter 11iRobot entered a Restructuring Support Agreement on December 14, 2025 with Shenzhen Picea Robotics and Santrum Hong Kong (collectively Picea),…Robot VacuumsIII · newsMay 8NEURA MiPA reservations active four months after CES; ship date still unconfirmedNEURA has maintained the MiPA reservation page without publishing a confirmed ship date four months after the CES 2026 announcement.…Humanoid RobotsReclassified
The digest

Robots get reclassified. You hear it first.

When a robot moves on the Autonomy Ladder™, a new model is classified, or the evidence changes, it goes in the digest — alongside notable analysis and the quarterly outlook. Sent when there’s something worth reporting, typically a few times a month. No marketing.

How we work

Editorial independence by design

Our classifications, our evidence, and our business model are structurally separated. The separation is the design, not a promise.

  • Independent review. Evidence depth varies by product and is stated clearly on each page.
  • No paid placements. Manufacturers do not influence classifications, coverage, or how robots are described.
  • Evidence-first reporting. Claims are treated as claims and labeled accordingly.

New coverageNow tracking humanoid robotsThe same Autonomy Ladder that classifies your robot vacuum now classifies humanoids. Most are less autonomous than you’d think.

50 classifiedIIIIISee the classifications

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